BlakeStar is one of the first cryptocurrencies to use the Blake2s hashing algorithm. Blake2s itself is a high speed optimized cryptographic hashing algorithm used for Proof-of-Work and Proof-of-Stake hashes in BlakeStar for performance with low load. BlakeStar uses Proof-of-Work, but unlike Bitcoin it is configured to transition to Proof-of-Stake, when small numbers of coins will be issued yearly for staking. Staking will be 10% per year. The advantage of transitioning to Proof-of-Stake is to avoid the centralized mining pools that may eventually threaten Bitcoin with a 51% attack. Most Bitcoin mining has been centralized in China, which is not necessarily a good thing for the currency. Proof-of-Stake is known to discourage centralized mining pools. This makes BlakeStar ideally suited for dedicated staking devices and low-power/low-spec systems.