Helmi stood outside the workshop, gazing at the North Pole’s iconic fairy lights twinkling against the icy night. These weren’t ordinary lights—they formed a vast "block chain," each glowing bulb representing a verified checkpoint in Santa’s gift ledger. But as beautiful as they were, their power draw was astronomical. “This blockchain tech is eating up enough energy to melt the ice caps!” Helmi muttered, frowning at the humming generators nearby.

Could an analog system offer a sustainable version of proof-of-work or proof-of-space? Something that verified transactions with the elegance of a pendulum clock or the efficiency of a wave signal? Helmi paused, notebook in hand, and looked at the reader.