1. what are the 11 hashing algorithms chained and what are the benefits of such chaining.
2. can we start the masternodes remotely like other masternode coins, and do we need a unique ip for each or just a different port.
3. and research or plans to expand the masternodes to do elastic computing instead of mining. "elastic chains" sounds great.
4. can the dev team introduce he/she/themselves?
1. what are the 11 hashing algorithms chained and what are the benefits of such chaining.C11 ->
https://github.com/chaincoin/chaincoin/blob/master/src/hash.h#L194 (for reference, also see Darkcoin-now-Dash):
X11 >
https://github.com/dx11/darkcoin/blob/master/src/hashblock.h#L62The benefits are at best arguable and in peer-reviewed cryptography papers the technique (of serially chaining the output of different hash algorithms) has been characterised as “folklore”. The characterisation is accurate, as far as I can ascertain, according to my understanding of the bitcointalk origins of the approach:
The original notion of chaining the output-to-input of different hash algos (as opposed to Satoshi's double-wrapping of SHA2 to elide a speculated-upon length extension vulnerability) was proposed by the Russian developer(s) of SIFCoin,
ANN, here translated informally:
Super secure hashing: 9 rounds of hashing from 6 hashing functions (blake, bmw, groestl, jh, keccak, skein). 3 rounds apply a random hashing function.
(my emphasis)
Although the claim of “super secure hashing” was later quietly dropped from the Quarkcoin rubric (presumably as indefensible), the fiction quickly spread amongst altcoin devs, starting with Darkcoin (which didn't even change the copy'n'pastad function name --- ”Hash9”):
https://github.com/dx11/darkcoin/blob/master/src/hashblock.h#L62and a short time later, Chaincoin, which used the same algos but two appear in a slightly different sequence to Hash9.
https://github.com/chaincoin/chaincoin/blob/893af8e4bd73344c007b61c20e9b97b2a1cf7b02/src/hashblock.h#L54Subsequently, according to the
MOAR-HASHES!!! principle - I don't have any cryptography literature to reference, only psychological literature which, if you'll forgive me, I presume is probably outside your bailiwick - the fiction was developed up to and including X19 (IIRC).
I haven't any evidence that there has been a C11 ASIC released thus far but I understand there are one or two X11 ASIC offerings around.
From a cryptography standpoint, the approach fails on first principles - not only can the technique not be proven to strengthen the cryptography, it cannot be proven not to
weaken it. For a more informed discussion, see
http://crypto.stackexchange.com/a/3763, one example amongst many in the literature.
2. can we start the masternodes remotely like other masternode coins, and do we need a unique ip for each or just a different port.Chaincoin 0.9.2 is based on Dash 0.9.2, you get whatever Dash was offering at the time, so the answer is probably “no-yes-no” (testnet is your friend).
3. and research or plans to expand the masternodes to do elastic computing instead of mining. "elastic chains" sounds great.i) This is bitcointalk, talk is cheap and plans even cheaper.
ii) Chaincoin is open source software
iii) Ask yourself, is there a budget?
You may conclude: if there is an unadvertised research effort, it will remain opaque to casual enquirers. OTOH, if there is no public research effort, anyone is free to initiate one.
4. can the dev team introduce he/she/themselves?i) After you
ii) I encourage you to reflect on where you first encountered the notion of “
the dev [team]” w.r.t to an altcoin and whether this also might be a popular fiction, given the open source context.
Cheers
Graham
