ALGORITHM WHICH IS

Last updated: June 19, 2025, 17:34 | Written by: Linda Xie

Algorithm Which Is
Algorithm Which Is

The world of Bitcoin mining is a competitive landscape, where even the smallest advantage can translate into significant profits.In the past, allegations of unfair advantages have surfaced, specifically concerning Bitmain, the leading provider of mining hardware. However, there are some some claims ASICBOOST only works with a specific type of scaling proposal. It is time we dive deeper into the mystery that is ASICBOOST. In a way, this is why BitmainThese accusations, centered around a technology called AsicBoost, sparked controversy and even impacted Bitcoin's price.The core of the issue revolves around claims that Bitmain secretly implemented a covert version of AsicBoost into their mining hardware, potentially giving them an edge over other miners.This alleged “backdoor” would allow them to save on mining costs and gain a larger share of the Bitcoin network's mining power.

The situation escalated when news broke that a vulnerability allowed miners to exploit the system.The claim was that Bitmain miners were unfairly economizing on costs, leading to a temporary surge in Bitcoin's price. asicboost. ş kela. son 24 saat segwit beklemesine ramen engelledikleri d ş n l yor. bitcoin medyası buna exploit diyor put-bitmain-in-hot-waterThis article will delve into the intricacies of AsicBoost, the specific claims against Bitmain, the potential impact on the Bitcoin network, and the responses from Bitmain and the Bitcoin community. Bitmain's miners have a secretly embedded cheat named Covert AsicBoost, which gives Jihan's mining farms (but not his customers!) advantages in mining, which results in Bitmain's monopoly in mining industry. Covert AsicBoost is unintentionally disabled by SegWit, a newly activated feature with many merits that gets intensively attacked.We'll explore the difference between overt and covert implementations of AsicBoost and the implications of each, examine the evidence presented, and discuss the long-term consequences of these allegations.

Understanding AsicBoost Technology

AsicBoost is a technique that aims to optimize the Bitcoin mining process, potentially leading to increased efficiency. A vulnerability in Bitcoin s proof-of-work system has enabled miners to save costs using so-called ASICBOOST technology. $ BTC $57,137 ; ETH $3,748 ; XRP $1.11 ;It's essentially a method of re-arranging data within a block header to find a valid solution to the proof-of-work puzzle faster.

To understand the controversy, it's crucial to distinguish between two forms of AsicBoost:

  • Overt AsicBoost: This version is transparent and compatible with the existing Bitcoin protocol rules.It involves modifying the block header's version field, making its usage easily detectable.
  • Covert AsicBoost: This version attempts to achieve the same efficiency gains without modifying the version field, making it harder to detect. 火曜日の夕方、とあるバグによりBitmainマイナーが不正にコスト削減が行えるということが発覚し、ビットコイン価格は2時間で40ドル上昇した。 いわゆるAsicBoostという技術を利用し、Bitmainマイナーはビットコインのプルーフ・オブ・ワークのシステム内に存在するループホールを利用したハックIt requires a specific type of Bitcoin scaling proposal to be implemented, which wasn't universally supported.

The core difference lies in the detectability and compatibility with the Bitcoin network.The allegations against Bitmain primarily focused on the use of covert AsicBoost, which was seen as a potentially unfair and underhanded tactic.

The Allegations Against Bitmain

The central claim is that Bitmain implemented covert AsicBoost in their mining hardware, giving them an advantage in their own mining operations (like AntPool and BTC.com) without disclosing it to their customers.This would translate to lower electricity costs and increased mining profits for Bitmain at the expense of other miners. AsicBoostの脆弱性を利用した不正発覚でBitmainが窮地に テクノロジー カテゴリーの変更を依頼 記事元: jp.cointelegraph.com 適切な情報に変更Here's a breakdown of the key allegations:

  • Secret Implementation: Bitmain allegedly embedded covert AsicBoost functionality into their mining chips without publicly announcing it.
  • Competitive Advantage: This secret implementation provided Bitmain with a cost-saving advantage, allowing them to mine more Bitcoin with the same amount of electricity compared to miners without AsicBoost.
  • Monopoly Concerns: The alleged advantage could contribute to Bitmain's dominance in the mining industry, potentially leading to a concentration of power and impacting the decentralization of the Bitcoin network.
  • SegWit Opposition: Some believed Bitmain opposed the SegWit upgrade because it unintentionally disabled covert AsicBoost.This claim has been contested.

If true, these allegations raise serious ethical and economic concerns about fairness and transparency in the Bitcoin mining ecosystem.

Examining the Evidence: Overt vs. They specifically referred to covert ASICBoost as not practical in a production environment . Further, they claim their circuit design supports ASICBoost, but that almost certainly refers to overt ASICBoost only. Examining Claims. Finding overt ASICBoost is easy on Testnet as block headers would have weird version values.Covert AsicBoost

Determining whether Bitmain actually used covert AsicBoost is a complex issue.The main challenge lies in the difficulty of detecting its usage. View Bitmain's Range Of Asic Bitcoin Miners And Buy Online With BitcoinWhile overt AsicBoost is easily identifiable by analyzing block headers, covert AsicBoost leaves no readily apparent signature.

Overt AsicBoost Evidence:

Evidence suggests that Bitmain did use overt AsicBoost, particularly in their AntPool mining pool.Analysis of AntPool's stratum extensions showed support for multi-versioning, a characteristic associated with overt AsicBoost.This aligns with Bitmain's claim that their circuit design supported AsicBoost, but almost certainly referred to the overt version only.

Covert AsicBoost Evidence:

Finding conclusive evidence of covert AsicBoost usage is much harder. 5.8M subscribers in the Bitcoin community. Bitcoin is the currency of the Internet: a distributed, worldwide, decentralized digital money. UnlikeThe lack of identifiable signatures makes it difficult to prove definitively.Opponents have pointed to Bitmain's alleged opposition to SegWit as circumstantial evidence, arguing that they wanted to protect their covert AsicBoost advantage. While ASICBoost has been a technological breakthrough, it has not been without controversy. The technique became a topic of intense debate within the Bitcoin community when allegations surfaced that certain major mining hardware manufacturers, notably Bitmain, were using the covert form of ASICBoost to gain a competitive advantage.However, Bitmain has offered alternative explanations for their stance on SegWit.

Ultimately, concrete proof of covert AsicBoost usage remains elusive. The mining equipment produced by Bitmain for its own use is in no way intended to be technically superior or more power-efficient than the equipment it sells to the public. The ASICBOOST method has not been employed by Bitmain to increase the power-efficiency of the miners in its own mining farms. Bitcoin mining equipment depreciates rapidly.While suspicions and circumstantial evidence exist, a smoking gun has yet to be found.

Bitmain's Response to the Allegations

Bitmain has consistently denied using covert AsicBoost. Bitcoin gained $40 in two hours on Wednesday evening as news broke that a bug was allowing miners - specifically Bitmain - to unfairly economize on costs. Through the use of so-called AsicBoostThey maintained that their hardware was designed to support AsicBoost, but only in its overt form. After testing AsicBoost on the Bitmain testnet, we found that the functionality does improve mining efficiency. One of Bitmain s top priorities and guiding principles is to provide our customers with the best mining technology in the industry and after extensive internal conversations, we have decided to activate this functionality to achieveThey also stated that the mining equipment used for their own farms was no different from the equipment they sold to the public.

Bitmain addressed the issue directly, stating that the ASICBOOST method has not been employed by Bitmain to increase the power-efficiency of the miners in its own mining farms. The biggest, BTC.com, also a part of Bitmain, represents 17.5% of the hash power. Bitmain is the leading provider of mining hardware. Bitmain was in hot water last year following the allegation that it implemented a covert version of the AsicBoost hack into its mining hardware chips. Many believed that this drove the company s rejectionThis statement aimed to dispel rumors that they were secretly gaining an advantage through this technology.

However, these denials did little to quell the controversy. Note this breakdown of AntPool s (owned by Bitmain) stratum extensions seem to support Bitmain s claims of having used overt ASICBoost but not covert ASICBoost. Multi-version refers to overt ASICBoost, or how many bits can be used in the version field of the block header.Critics argued that Bitmain had a vested interest in denying the allegations, as admitting to using covert AsicBoost would damage their reputation and potentially invite legal repercussions.

The Impact on the Bitcoin Network

The AsicBoost controversy had several potential impacts on the Bitcoin network:

  • Centralization Concerns: The alleged unfair advantage could accelerate the centralization of mining power in the hands of Bitmain, potentially compromising the network's decentralization.
  • Distrust and Division: The controversy created distrust and division within the Bitcoin community, leading to heated debates and disagreements about the best way forward.
  • Market Volatility: The initial news of the alleged exploit caused a temporary surge in Bitcoin's price, highlighting the sensitivity of the market to such controversies.
  • Focus on Transparency: The controversy highlighted the importance of transparency and fairness in the Bitcoin mining ecosystem, leading to increased scrutiny of mining hardware manufacturers.

While the long-term impact of the AsicBoost controversy is difficult to quantify, it undoubtedly contributed to a more cautious and critical approach to the Bitcoin mining landscape.

Why Did SegWit ""Disable"" Covert AsicBoost?

The activation of Segregated Witness (SegWit) in Bitcoin indirectly impacted the potential for using covert AsicBoost. Once the news broke, Bitmain CEO Jihan Wu found himself at the centre of controversy with claims that Bitmain s hardware was backdoored to allow potential covert cost-saving and an ensuing network monopoly. A user of AsicBoost was estimated to increase mining performance by % for Bitmain or anyone running ASIC Boost.Here's how:

Covert AsicBoost relies on manipulating the block header to optimize the mining process without changing the version field (which would indicate the use of overt AsicBoost). SegWit fundamentally changed the structure of Bitcoin blocks by separating the transaction signatures (the ""witness"" data) from the transaction data itself.This change meant that the area previously available for manipulation by covert AsicBoost was no longer readily accessible in the same way. AntPool, the cryptocurrency mining pool operated by mining hardware company Bitmain, has continued to support the company s controversial public image. AntPool has reportedly activated AsicBoost, a type of mining hack that, according to the company, will increase mining efficiency by as much as 20%.In effect, the specific manipulations needed for covert AsicBoost became more difficult or impossible to implement without significantly altering the block structure in a way that would be easily detectable.

This is why some in the community alleged that Bitmain opposed SegWit – because it removed their ability to use covert AsicBoost.However, Bitmain disputed this, stating that their opposition to SegWit was based on technical and scaling concerns.

Modern Mining Hardware and Efficiency

While the AsicBoost controversy happened years ago, the pursuit of efficiency in Bitcoin mining continues.Modern miners are constantly pushing the boundaries of technology to achieve higher hashrates with lower energy consumption.

For example, Bitmain announced new Antminer models, like the S21 Hyd. and S21, boasting impressive hashrates and energy efficiency.The S21 Hyd. achieves up to 335T hashrate with an energy efficiency of just 16 J/T, while the S21 reaches up to 200T with an energy efficiency of 17.5 J/T.These advancements highlight the ongoing efforts to improve mining performance and reduce electricity costs.

The Future of Bitcoin Mining

The AsicBoost controversy serves as a reminder of the importance of transparency, fairness, and ongoing innovation in the Bitcoin mining ecosystem. 礦機製造商Bitmain(比特大陸-目前市佔率最大的礦機製造商)發布了礦機Antminer S9設備的軟件更新,使用了有爭議的代碼使它們能夠降低更多功耗,在漫漫熊市中省下更多電費。 挖礦硬體製造大廠比特大陸(Bitmain)於10月22日週一發布了一項軟體升級,將公開的支持「AsicBoost」功能,為礦工帶來更高的As mining hardware continues to evolve, it's crucial to:

  • Promote Transparency: Encourage mining hardware manufacturers to be transparent about their technology and any potential optimizations they implement.
  • Foster Innovation: Support research and development of new mining techniques that improve efficiency without compromising the security or decentralization of the Bitcoin network.
  • Maintain Vigilance: Remain vigilant against potential exploits and unfair advantages, ensuring that the Bitcoin mining landscape remains competitive and equitable.

FAQ: AsicBoost and Bitmain

Here are some frequently asked questions about the AsicBoost controversy:

What is AsicBoost?

AsicBoost is a technology designed to optimize the Bitcoin mining process, potentially leading to increased efficiency and lower energy consumption.

What are the two types of AsicBoost?

The two types are overt AsicBoost, which is transparent and easily detectable, and covert AsicBoost, which aims to achieve the same efficiency gains without being easily detected.

What were the allegations against Bitmain?

The main allegation was that Bitmain secretly implemented covert AsicBoost in their mining hardware, giving them an unfair advantage in their own mining operations.

Did Bitmain admit to using AsicBoost?

Bitmain admitted to supporting overt AsicBoost but denied using covert AsicBoost.

How did SegWit affect AsicBoost?

SegWit made it more difficult to implement covert AsicBoost, as it changed the structure of Bitcoin blocks in a way that limited the manipulation required for the exploit.

Conclusion

The AsicBoost exploit claims that put Bitmain in hot water raised serious concerns about fairness and transparency in the Bitcoin mining ecosystem. BITMAIN announced during the World Digital Mining Summit 2025 (WDMS 2025) that it will launch its latest ANTMINER hydro-cooling miner, S21 Hyd. and air-cooling miner, S21. S21 Hyd. has a hashrate of up to 335T with an energy efficiency of only 16 J/T, while S21 has a hashrate of up to 200T with an energy efficiency of only 17.5 J/T.While conclusive evidence of covert AsicBoost usage remains elusive, the controversy highlighted the importance of vigilance, transparency, and ongoing innovation.The Bitcoin community learned a valuable lesson about the potential for hidden advantages and the need for continuous scrutiny of mining hardware manufacturers.

Key takeaways from the AsicBoost controversy include the need for open communication, the importance of maintaining a level playing field, and the continuous pursuit of more efficient and sustainable mining practices.As the Bitcoin network continues to evolve, it's crucial to address these issues proactively to ensure a fair and decentralized future for the cryptocurrency.

Linda Xie can be reached at [email protected].

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