I know Bitcoin is running on a proof of work consensus algorithm. Recently I discovered proof of stake by reading up a bit on Cardano and Ethereum's 2.0 plans.
What is the difference between these two, how does POS reduce the energy required to mine a block transaction and are either of these more secure than the other? Basically what are the pros and cons of each.
Also if POS consumes less energy, then wouldn't it be a good idea for Bitcoin to transition to a POS algorithm?
Bitcoin is PoW, it is in the whitepaper. However, if everybody agrees, yes bitcoin may switch to PoS as well but I don't think it is going to happen. Some people say PoS is not as safe as PoW and we still don't know if this is right. Eth and cardano doing well so far. So maybe, the hesitations might be baseless.