Update Proof of Time

contractless 2024-10-23 20:21:53 +00:00
parent 52128554bf
commit 670fc2927f

@ -8,3 +8,16 @@ Most proofing algorithms fall into one of a few categories.
4. Proof of Authority
5. Proof of Capacity
6. Proof of History
### Proof of Work (ASICs and GPU)
Proof of Work (PoW) using GPUs was the first widely adopted method of computational work used in blockchain consensus mechanisms. In this system, miners attempt to create a valid block by constructing a block header, which contains several components, including a critical value known as the nonce. The nonce is simply a number that is repeatedly adjusted, typically incremented starting from zero, in an effort to discover a valid block. Each time the nonce is modified, the miner hashes the block header (which includes the nonce and other information such as the timestamp and previous block hash) and checks the result against the current target difficulty.
The target difficulty is a predetermined threshold value that determines how hard it is to mine a new block. A valid block is found when the hash output of the block header is numerically lower than the target value. If the hash meets this condition, the block is considered valid, and the miner is rewarded for their work by adding the new block to the blockchain. This process is called "proof of work" because other participants in the network can independently verify the validity of the block by performing the same hash operation and checking if the resulting hash is indeed below the target difficulty.
GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) became the preferred hardware for PoW mining due to their ability to perform highly parallel computations at much higher rates than traditional CPUs (Central Processing Units). The core advantage of GPUs lies in their architecture, which is optimized for performing many simultaneous operations, making them ideal for the repetitive, independent hashing tasks required in mining. A GPU can test thousands or even millions of different nonce values per second, recalculating the hash for each attempt and checking whether it satisfies the difficulty target. This ability to compute and check hash results at such high speeds makes GPUs far more efficient than CPUs for PoW mining.
As difficulty levels in blockchain networks like Bitcoin increased, the computational power provided by CPUs quickly became insufficient for effective mining. GPUs, with their superior parallel processing capabilities, offered a significant performance boost, enabling miners to generate more hashes in a shorter period and thus increasing their likelihood of discovering a valid block. However, as the blockchain ecosystem evolved, specialized hardware such as ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits) eventually outpaced GPUs, leading to the centralization of mining power in PoW networks.