Coindesk: Monroe password punks made a final blow to ASIC

Introduced the final efforts of the Monroe community's password punks for anti-ASIC mining, and the mining performance of the Random X algorithm.

Inside Monroe: Last time against ASIC

Monroe developers are stepping up to prevent ASICs from monopolizing mining incentives.

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Among the many cryptocurrencies that focus on privacy, Monroe has become the largest (about $1.5 billion) private currency since its launch in 2014. According to the Messari website, the Monroe mining awards totaled $62 million over the past five years.

But these mining rewards seem to gradually fall into the hands of ASIC operators, shutting out smaller, independent or amateurs. In order to ensure the fairness of mining, Monroe developers will use the regular hard fork method to eliminate ASIC monopoly, but after analysis, this method does not work, ASIC is maintaining a leading edge.

“The speed at which ASIC manufacturers manufacture equipment far exceeds our expectations,” said Monroe contributor Justin Ehrenhofer. "They design and produce chips in a month, and they can make a profit within six months."

Another contributor, Diego Salazar, told CoinDesk:

“We also think that the fork is unsustainable. First, the hard forks are costly again and again. Second, the mining may be decentralized but centered in another area. The developer is centralized. Because developers now have a lot of trust to continue to maintain a hard fork."

As a result, Monroe developers are accelerating the development of a new mining algorithm for RandomX to reduce the competitiveness of ASICs.

The new RandomX code was inspired by Howard Chu, chief technology officer and founder of computer software company Symas Corporation, and he also developed the database types currently used by Monroe. The current four organizations are auditing the RandomX code, and the code is expected to be released in July.

According to the current progress, the algorithm can be activated in October.

Ehrenhofer said: "We finally reached a consensus and decided to implement RandomX. It is our best chance to protect Monroe. If it fails, Monroe may transform into an ASIC-friendly algorithm."

According to Salazar, RandomX is the last straw for Monroe's anti-ASIC.

Prioritize CPU

According to Howard Chu's design, the RandomX algorithm will be CPU-centric.

Unlike an application specific integrated circuit ASIC, the central processing unit CPU is a multipurpose computer hardware.

Salazar explained: "This is a power spectrum."

"One end is a CPU that can perform various types of operations, and the other end is a focused and extremely efficient ASIC."

According to Howard Chu, the world's most widely distributed computing resource is the CPU.

Then he stressed: "Everyone has a smart phone in their pocket, and their CPU and memory can be mined by RandomX algorithm."

With the goal of maximizing the dispersion of miners, Chu predicts that at least in the next three to five years, RandomX CPU miners will have an advantage over ASIC miners.

Discard the GPU

At the same time, CPU mining is expected to surpass GPU mining.

Chu said that the graphics processing unit (GPU) is optimized for "serialized image processing work."

Data is input from the front end of the pipeline and is output from the pipeline terminal. The point is that the data is very fast from input to output, almost straight-line transmission.

Monroe's current mining algorithm is called CryptoNight. The original CryptoNight was designed to improve CPU mining efficiency, but GPU miners surpassed CPU in terms of power and energy efficiency.

"Just like fate is arranged, CryptoNight is quite friendly to the GPU, no one predicts it," Chu explained. "In fact, today's GPUs have so much memory and memory bandwidth, so CryptoNight designed in 2013 can't stop GPU digs. mine."

With the launch of RandomX, Chu expects CPU mining to be at least three times faster than GPU mining.

Although a small group of GPU miners who have the right to speak against RandomX, Ehrenhofer insists that GPU miners can resell hardware or use it.

Ehrenhofer said that if I am an ASIC device, I have no advantage in the mining economy.

Although RandomX has an impact on ASIC and GPU miners in the Monroe network, Ehrenhofer said:

“I don’t worry that the community will split because RandomX is the closest algorithm to our philosophy.”

Worried question

A very real concern appeared in front of Ehernhofer and others, and the implementation of a CPU-friendly mining algorithm like RandomX would lead to a botnet spread in Monroe.

"The main concern is that the security of millions or even hundreds of millions of computers is very poor, and malware can easily invade these computers and do whatever they want."

Ehrenhofer's fear of a botnet infected by malware has been a big worry for Monroe.

Monroe is currently the most serious cryptocurrency that has been improperly mined. This has been going on for several years. RandomX does not prevent encryption theft and malware violations.

Due to Monroe's current algorithm CryptoNight, it has always favored CPU and GPU. For the affected miners, you can ask for help on Monroe Network or other forums.

New partnership

Launching RandomX has been supported by many outsiders, especially those that can use CPU-friendly mining algorithms.

Arweave ICO is said to have raised $8.7 million and is currently testing the RandomX algorithm.

Earlier this month, Arweave founder and CEO Sam Williams said: "The anti-ASIC PoW algorithm like RandomX will enhance the network's permanent, low-cost, tamper-proof. Ensure that the Arweave network maintains a good decentralized distribution around the world."

Therefore, Arweave funded one of the four audits of RandomX.

The audit completed on Friday is expected to cost $80,000, and CEO and co-founder Dan Guido confirmed to CoinDesk that Arweave's final contribution was $28,000.

“One of the reasons we funded the audit was to use this opportunity to make a small-scale public service that would allow other encryption projects to understand that the RandomX algorithm is anti-ASIC and secure.”

In addition, the audit work of security companies Kudelski Security, X41 D-Sec and QuarksLab has a total offer of $130,000 and is expected to be completed in July. The audit funds come from the Monroe community.

risk

In the process of preparing RandomX on the main online line, various discussions continued, and Ehrenhofer insisted that the benefits that RandomX can bring before running on the main network are still unknown.

Ehrenhofer suggested: "We are not sure if RandomX will work. Even if all the audits pass, the other party said, "Your encryption technology is very good," but we don't really know what it will be."

If the RandoomX algorithm fails, the worst is to switch to an ASIC-friendly algorithm, similar to the one currently used by Bitcoin.

Ehrenhofer joked: "If RandomX fails, Monroe turns to an ASIC-friendly algorithm, and the Bitcoin community might say, 'We have told you that it won't work.'"

But Salazar insists that Monroe should try to be brave, even if it fails, it doesn't matter.

“If one day we have an excellent, privacy-protected, interchangeable cryptocurrency, isn’t that a great thing?” “Even if Monroe eventually failed, at least Monroe could In the sense that the ultimate cryptocurrency paves the way, Monroe is at least the best loser."

"The Monroe members are some stubborn nerds. We decided to challenge this ASIC guy, so "Let's make our last effort!" ”

Original | Christine Kim Translation | First Class _Tracey Original: https://www.coindesk.com/inside-moneros-last-ditch-effort-to-block-crypto-mining-asics Source: https:/ /first.vip/shareNews?id=1765&uid=1

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