
AsicBoost – A Speedup for Bitcoin Mining [pdf] - wslh
https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1604/1604.00575.pdf
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aston
AsicBoost is hypothetically an easy 20% win for any miner to implement, but
it's patent encumbered, so there's now an attempt [1] by the core developers
to fork Bitcoin in order to nullify its effect.

Why fight it? Not just because it's patented. The bigger fear is that because
it's patented, no one in the US will be able (willing?) to implement it, while
folks in other countries with lax enforcement of IP laws (read: China) will.
Since mining is a competitive race, a 20% boost should ensure only patent
infringers will ever mine blocks.

[1] [https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/pipermail/bitcoin-
dev/2016...](https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/pipermail/bitcoin-
dev/2016-May/012652.html)

~~~
lukifer
This creates a paradox: why would Chinese miners choose to adopt a fork that
would eliminate their competitive advantage?

~~~
bduerst
A greater paradox is how does a decentralized currency, which relies on
computational power for preservation, continue to protect itself from
algorithmic advancement?

\- With patents/copyright, the creators make the work publicly available with
the expectation of protection.

\- Without patents/copyright, the creators keep it private and can use the
advantage to take over the network.

