Why does Proof-of-Work require continuous spending to stay competitive?

In Proof-of-Work, maintaining influence in the network requires ongoing real-world expenditure on hardware and electricity — there is no passive compounding. A miner's share of the network does not grow automatically; it must be actively defended by continuously paying operational costs. Stop spending, and your influence shrinks. For a beginner, this means PoW participation is more like running a business than owning an asset: staying relevant demands continuous investment, not just an initial purchase.