Scrypt

Scrypt is a cryptographic hashing algorithm used by several cryptocurrencies as an alternative to Bitcoin’s SHA-256. Originally developed for Tarsnap, a secure online backup service, Scrypt is designed to be more memory-intensive than SHA-256, which makes it less susceptible to attacks from specialized hardware like ASICs. Scrypt was chosen by Litecoin, one of the earliest Bitcoin alternatives, to democratize mining by making it easier for everyday users with regular computer hardware to participate in the mining process. Example: Litecoin and Dogecoin use Scrypt as their proof-of-work (PoW) algorithm to secure their networks and validate transactions.