Proof of Importance: How Some Cryptocurrencies Reward Active Users Instead of Miners

When you think of how blockchains validate transactions, you probably imagine miners solving complex puzzles—that’s proof of work, a consensus method where computational power secures the network. But not all networks work that way. Proof of Importance, a consensus model that rewards users based on their activity and contribution to the network, is one alternative that flips the script. It doesn’t care how much computing power you have—it cares how much you use the network, how often you transact, and how many coins you hold over time. Think of it like a loyalty program, but for crypto. The more you engage, the more you earn.

Unlike proof of stake, where wealth equals influence, and those with the most coins get to validate blocks, proof of importance adds behavior into the mix. Holding a lot of coins? Good. But if you never send them, rarely interact with others, or sit on them for years, you get little reward. It’s designed to stop whales from just hoarding and instead push people to actually use the currency. This model was first used by NEM, and while it’s not as common as proof of stake, it’s still a smart way to keep a network alive with real usage—not just speculation.

Some projects tried to copy it, but most failed because it’s hard to measure "importance" fairly. You can’t just count transactions—you need to track who you transact with, how often, and whether those interactions help the network grow. That’s why you won’t find it in Bitcoin or Ethereum. But if you’re looking for coins that try to reward real-world use over passive holding, proof of importance is one of the few models that actually tries. Below, you’ll find deep dives into coins that used it, scams that pretended to use it, and what happens when a network tries to build incentives around behavior instead of capital.