Mining is the process by which computers in a Proof-of-Work network solve complex cryptographic puzzles to create new blocks, earning newly created coins as a reward.
On Bitcoin, for example, miners worldwide compete to be the first to find a valid hash value for the next block – a pure trial-and-error process requiring enormous amounts of energy, typically using specialized hardware (ASICs).
The successful miner receives both newly minted coins (the so-called block reward) and the transaction fees included in that block.
Mining also secures the network: to manipulate the blockchain, an attacker would need to control more than half of the network's total computing power (a 51% attack), which is practically unaffordable on established networks like Bitcoin.
