nonmineable

Nonmineable refers to digital assets that cannot be produced through mining. In cryptocurrency terms, mining is the process used by proof-of-work networks to generate new units, validate transactions, and secure the network. Nonmineable assets rely on alternative issuance mechanisms and are not created by solving cryptographic puzzles via miners.

Most nonmineable assets operate on consensus mechanisms such as proof-of-stake (PoS), delegated proof-of-stake, or other built-in issuance rules. In these systems, new supply is minted via staking rewards, governance decisions, or fixed schedules rather than through mining hardware. Some assets were also largely or entirely premined at genesis.

Examples include assets that are predominantly nonmineable due to PoS architecture, such as Cardano, Tezos, Solana, Polkadot, and other PoS networks; and tokens that are premined or minted at launch, such as XRP and Stellar lumens. Nonmineable does not imply lack of security or usefulness; rather it indicates the primary means of unit creation differs from traditional mining.

Implications for users and markets include differences in energy use, distribution fairness, and potential centralization risk. PoS systems may concentrate influence among stake holders, while premined supply can raise concerns about central control. Overall, nonmineable assets complement the broader landscape of blockchain consensus models.