Ethereum goes Istanbul: a New algorithm ProgPoW will come

the In the heated debate on the new Mining algorithm ProgPoW in the case of Ethereum, the developers have adapted a second Time: The implementation will come. Between economic interests and technical improvements.

Max Halder
19. March 2019ETH$137,74 0.08%part Facebook Twitter LinkedIn xing mail

It goes on and on. Since Ethereum in October 2017 in the development phase of the Metropolis is immersed, more and more historical names of cities and kingdoms by the press: Byzantinum, Constantinople, St. Petersburg and Istanbul the designations for Updates of the Blockchain. Quickly, you lose in betting the notion of race. After the latest Update, consisting of the two Parts of Constantiople and St. Petersburg, was carried out at the end of February, comes the next Hard Fork into the centre of Istanbul. Within this planned improvement, there is a contentious issue whether the Mining algorithm. The word of the hour is Progressive Proof-of-Work algorithm, short ProgPoW.

What speaks against a technical improvement?

The annual profit, earned by the Mining of Ethereum, amounts to a whopping 655 million US dollars. The Mining farms to calculate the blocks so far, with the Ethash algorithm and use either specifically to the Mining designed ASIC Miner or conventional graphics cards (GPU). The new algorithm ProgPoW to reduce the previous advantage of the ASIC-Miner as compared to the conventional GPUs. As we already reported, sparked a dispute between the Camps of Pro-ProgPoW and Anti-ProgPoW. Similarly, one could describe the two camps as Pro-ASIC-manufacturer and Pro-GPU-manufacturers. It is only understandable that the developers of Ethereum, so the actual creators, are tired of whether this Wetteiferns to economic supremacy. To do this, Greg Colvin, one of the actors in the case of Ethereum:

We went back to a debate that we have been able to a few months ago, fortunately, behind us! We agreed at that time that we examine the algorithm only on error, or behind doors, and the like [...]. The debate between the Camps [ASIC vs. graphics cards (GPUs)] should not affect us from then on. This will resolve with time.

We do, BUT

agreed with the owner of Ethereum quasi-unanimously pro ProgPoW implementation. In the last vote of the Core Devs (= the core developers) of Ethereum, it came to a majority decision in favour of the implementation. Although it was already in January of the same decision, but the risks, whether potential errors in the Code, could be still no release of the new algorithm. First of all, still independent inspections of the new Protocol should be carried out, which were announced by the beginning of February, but still not even started. Resolved questions how would have to be: How well the different Mining devices, with the new algorithm? Can be made for the new algorithm are special Hardware, which, in turn, would mean an advantage? Also for insiders, it is difficult to assess what to promote independent inspections actually see the light of day, says the developer Alexey Akhunov:

What is the goal of ProgPoW? What is the definition of a success? So far, I got none of the proponents of a satisfactory answer.

the implementation of ProgPoW is to come is only a matter of time. Whether as part of the planned Hard Fork Istanbul or other Upgrades – the best time to be on the lookout for cities.

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