So, in a sense, it is solo mining, isn't it?
It is, indeed, solo mining. That's why it's branded as "solo". You're just connecting to a reliable pool, but it will reward you as a solo-miner, if you find a block. 
Topic: Bitcoin Core + Solo Mining Program (Read 377 times)
It's completely different. If you solve a block at ckpool.org, you get 98% of the block reward, as if you would if you solo-mined. (2% is the pool's fee)
In nearly every other pool, you're earning bitcoin by providing shares. For example, one common practice is to split the block reward based on how much each miner worked for (based on these shares).
In nearly every other pool, you're earning bitcoin by providing shares. For example, one common practice is to split the block reward based on how much each miner worked for (based on these shares).
Oh yeah I missed that.
But doesn't this mean that for every block mined by CKPool, one person (or better one miner) receives the block reward on their own?
So, in a sense, it is solo mining, isn't it?
So it's not different than mining in any other pool, is it?
It's completely different. If you solve a block at ckpool.org, you get 98% of the block reward, as if you would if you solo-mined. (2% is the pool's fee) In nearly every other pool, you're earning bitcoin by providing shares. For example, one common practice is to split the block reward based on how much each miner worked for (based on these shares).
Those are solo-miners, connecting to pool "solo.ckpool.org". They are most likely mining with ASIC. Every time a block is found by ckpool.org, it's one of the many solo miners, mining at ckpool.org. The benefit of mining there instead of setting up a proper environment yourself, is stability I think.
So it's not different than mining in any other pool, is it?
Btw, do we know when was the last time someone solved a block with a regular PC (either via CPU or GPU)?
I highly doubt there's a list of most-recent CPU/GPU mined blocks, and even if there is, there is no way to actually verify they were mined with CPU/GPU.But searching in mempool.space, I am seeing the CK pool: https://mempool.space/mining/pool/solock and it looks like this pool mined a block 5 days ago. Is this a solo miner?
Those are solo-miners, connecting to pool "solo.ckpool.org". They are most likely mining with ASIC. Every time a block is found by ckpool.org, it's one of the many solo miners, mining at ckpool.org. The benefit of mining there instead of setting up a proper environment yourself, is stability I think. Btw, do we know when was the last time someone solved a block with a regular PC (either via CPU or GPU)?
Has it happened recently?
From time to time (even a couple of years ago) we hear about lucky solo miners using USB ASIC sticks, but I'm specifically asking about lucky CPU/GPU miners.
Has it happened recently?
From time to time (even a couple of years ago) we hear about lucky solo miners using USB ASIC sticks, but I'm specifically asking about lucky CPU/GPU miners.
I am not entirely sure if my answer is correct, so I kindly ask for correction.
But searching in mempool.space, I am seeing the CK pool: https://mempool.space/mining/pool/solock and it looks like this pool mined a block 5 days ago. Is this a solo miner? Judging from the total mined blocks, I don't think so, but on the other hand, could they be a solo miner?
Btw, do we know when was the last time someone solved a block with a regular PC (either via CPU or GPU)?
Has it happened recently?
From time to time (even a couple of years ago) we hear about lucky solo miners using USB ASIC sticks, but I'm specifically asking about lucky CPU/GPU miners.
Has it happened recently?
From time to time (even a couple of years ago) we hear about lucky solo miners using USB ASIC sticks, but I'm specifically asking about lucky CPU/GPU miners.
--snip--
I found this one and it works for nVidia/CUDA:https://github.com/tpruvot/ccminer/releases
https://crazy-mining.org/en/mining/ccminer-how-to-install-and-use-download-and-configure-for-windows/
cgminer/bfgminer only support OpenCL (GCN Radeon).
ccminer performance is not optimal though, it's 5 times slower compared to benchmarks:
https://bizon-tech.com/blog/best-workstations-gpu-for-forensic-password-cracking
https://bizon-tech.com/blog/best-workstations-gpu-for-forensic-password-cracking
ccminer isn't exactly modern, but it seems it was fairly popular when i look at the github and forum discussion page. Although comparing Hashcat SHA-256 with ccminer SHA-256d isn't very good comparison. And FYI, nvidia can run opencl software.
while solo mining contributes to the decentralization of Bitcoin (again, if only slightly) and helping to preserve your coins value.
Would you be in favour or against the theoretical idea of a world where every house in the world would be solo mining bitcoin using low budget devices?
It would help the overall network’s decentralisation but it’s true that most people wouldn’t have any profits.
So it’s more for the idealists, isn’t it?
--snip--
I found this one and it works for nVidia/CUDA:https://github.com/tpruvot/ccminer/releases
https://crazy-mining.org/en/mining/ccminer-how-to-install-and-use-download-and-configure-for-windows/
cgminer/bfgminer only support OpenCL (GCN Radeon).
ccminer performance is not optimal though, it's 5 times slower compared to benchmarks:
https://bizon-tech.com/blog/best-workstations-gpu-for-forensic-password-cracking
https://bizon-tech.com/blog/best-workstations-gpu-for-forensic-password-cracking
ccminer isn't exactly modern, but it seems it was fairly popular when i look at the github and forum discussion page. Although comparing Hashcat SHA-256 with ccminer SHA-256d isn't very good comparison. And FYI, nvidia can run opencl software.
OP's coded his own software that's an achievement but he can't use it to mine because it isn't practical. Solo mining's difficult that's why ppl choose mining with pools it's better to find a block & share rewards because solo miners won't find any thing. It's fun to learn mining or coding but OP won't find blocks using solo mining he'll need more hashrate from pools to have any chance of successfully finding blocks.
I disagree strongly.
Say you have some mining device running personally. How much are you going to make from it? Some few dollars a month in bitcoin. What value is that to you? skip a frappachino or two and spend the money on coins and you'll be better off.
But instead if you solo mine you get a small probability for a life changing amount of Bitcoin. I think to many people that is much more valuable.
And assuming you already own bitcoins the first option of pooling contributes (if only ever so slightly) to the centralization of Bitcoin, depriving your coins of value... while solo mining contributes to the decentralization of Bitcoin (again, if only slightly) and helping to preserve your coins value.
OP's coded his own software that's an achievement but he can't use it to mine because it isn't practical. Solo mining's difficult that's why ppl choose mining with pools it's better to find a block & share rewards because solo miners won't find any thing. It's fun to learn mining or coding but OP won't find blocks using solo mining he'll need more hashrate from pools to have any chance of successfully finding blocks.
ccminer performance is not optimal though, it's 5 times slower compared to benchmarks:
https://bizon-tech.com/blog/best-workstations-gpu-for-forensic-password-cracking
https://bizon-tech.com/blog/best-workstations-gpu-for-forensic-password-cracking
Does this program support SHA x86 extensions?
It says it does for Intel Rocket Lake: https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/m.53865575.Quote
I'm curious to know if modern x86 CPUs have an SHA-256 ASIC inside, or if it's just microcode (emulating SHA-256 hashing via micro-ops).
They definitely don't have a fully-pipelined ASIC-like engine inside, specifically designed for SHA, but they do improve performance over general purpose instructions.Quote
It would be interesting if someone could calculate the probability of a modern PC solving a BTC block... must be hundreds or even thousands of years?
Mine performs around 50 MH/s. Plugging that number in the python program above, and you get a 0.034% chance to solve a block within the next 100,000 years. 
FWIW, you could use also hashcat built-in benchmark.
Is there any modern GPGPU/CUDA miner for SHA-256 hashing
And preferably I'd like the code to stay inside the L2 cache (it's quite big these days) to avoid GDDR bottlenecks. ETH mining required a quite huge DAG file, but BTC mining shouldn't require much VRAM.
And preferably I'd like the code to stay inside the L2 cache (it's quite big these days) to avoid GDDR bottlenecks. ETH mining required a quite huge DAG file, but BTC mining shouldn't require much VRAM.
AFAIK there's no up-to-date Bitcoin mining software which support CPU or GPU. Old popular software (such as cgminer or bfgminer) doesn't support CUDA either.
I know it's a gamble/long shot, so I don't expect anything really... at best I can expect electrical heating in my room, with a very slim chance of winning the jackpot.
Good luck with that.
https://github.com/tpruvot/ccminer/releases
https://crazy-mining.org/en/mining/ccminer-how-to-install-and-use-download-and-configure-for-windows/
cgminer/bfgminer only support OpenCL (GCN Radeon).
Does this program support SHA x86 extensions?
It says it does for Intel Rocket Lake: https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/m.53865575.Quote
I'm curious to know if modern x86 CPUs have an SHA-256 ASIC inside, or if it's just microcode (emulating SHA-256 hashing via micro-ops).
They definitely don't have a fully-pipelined ASIC-like engine inside, specifically designed for SHA, but they do improve performance over general purpose instructions.Quote
It would be interesting if someone could calculate the probability of a modern PC solving a BTC block... must be hundreds or even thousands of years?
Mine performs around 50 MH/s. Plugging that number in the python program above, and you get a 0.034% chance to solve a block within the next 100,000 years. FWIW, you could use also hashcat built-in benchmark.
Is there any modern GPGPU/CUDA miner for SHA-256 hashing
And preferably I'd like the code to stay inside the L2 cache (it's quite big these days) to avoid GDDR bottlenecks. ETH mining required a quite huge DAG file, but BTC mining shouldn't require much VRAM.
And preferably I'd like the code to stay inside the L2 cache (it's quite big these days) to avoid GDDR bottlenecks. ETH mining required a quite huge DAG file, but BTC mining shouldn't require much VRAM.
AFAIK there's no up-to-date Bitcoin mining software which support CPU or GPU. Old popular software (such as cgminer or bfgminer) doesn't support CUDA either.
I know it's a gamble/long shot, so I don't expect anything really... at best I can expect electrical heating in my room, with a very slim chance of winning the jackpot.
Good luck with that.
Does this program support SHA x86 extensions?
It says it does for Intel Rocket Lake: https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/m.53865575.Quote
I'm curious to know if modern x86 CPUs have an SHA-256 ASIC inside, or if it's just microcode (emulating SHA-256 hashing via micro-ops).
They definitely don't have a fully-pipelined ASIC-like engine inside, specifically designed for SHA, but they do improve performance over general purpose instructions.Quote
It would be interesting if someone could calculate the probability of a modern PC solving a BTC block... must be hundreds or even thousands of years?
Mine performs around 50 MH/s. Plugging that number in the python program above, and you get a 0.034% chance to solve a block within the next 100,000 years. Is there any modern GPGPU/CUDA miner for SHA-256 hashing?
And preferably I'd like the code to stay inside the L2 cache (it's quite big these days) to avoid GDDR bottlenecks. ETH mining required a quite huge DAG file, but BTC mining shouldn't require much VRAM.
I know it's a gamble/long shot, so I don't expect anything really... at best I can expect electrical heating in my room, with a very slim chance of winning the jackpot.
Excuse my skepticism, but i find OP behavior is weird. He never make any response to any reply on this thread, but he also create new thread and even duplicate of this thread[1]. Have anyone tried to run OP's code?
[1] https://ninjastic.space/search?author=eric9800
[1] https://ninjastic.space/search?author=eric9800
Nice project.
You can try it at testnet instead of mainnet so that you can actually have a chance of mining a block to verify your code works correctly.
Some time ago I wrote a couple of guides here to solo mine in testnet. You might want to have a look at them to have a working example that you can compare your code with:
[Guide] Solo mine testnet bitcoins with bfgminer, Bitcoin Core, and a CPU/GPU
[Guide] Solo mine testnet bitcoins with cgminer, Bitcoin Core, and a Compac F
Hope it helps!.
You can try it at testnet instead of mainnet so that you can actually have a chance of mining a block to verify your code works correctly.
Some time ago I wrote a couple of guides here to solo mine in testnet. You might want to have a look at them to have a working example that you can compare your code with:
[Guide] Solo mine testnet bitcoins with bfgminer, Bitcoin Core, and a CPU/GPU
[Guide] Solo mine testnet bitcoins with cgminer, Bitcoin Core, and a Compac F
Hope it helps!.
Does this program support SHA x86 extensions?
It says it does for Intel Rocket Lake: https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/m.53865575.Quote
I'm curious to know if modern x86 CPUs have an SHA-256 ASIC inside, or if it's just microcode (emulating SHA-256 hashing via micro-ops).
They definitely don't have a fully-pipelined ASIC-like engine inside, specifically designed for SHA, but they do improve performance over general purpose instructions.Quote
It would be interesting if someone could calculate the probability of a modern PC solving a BTC block... must be hundreds or even thousands of years?
Mine performs around 50 MH/s. Plugging that number in the python program above, and you get a 0.034% chance to solve a block within the next 100,000 years. It would be greatly helpful if you could review my program and let me know if there are any issues or potential improvements.
Yes, to not use python. 
If what you're trying to accomplish is just test your mining program, then you can use testnet4 and see if it's working properly. From a quick glimpse it seems theoretically correct, but there is already optimized mining software for that purpose, like CKpool.
Edit: CKpool with CPU miner software, like cpuminer-opt, as shown below.
I'm curious to know if modern x86 CPUs have an SHA-256 ASIC inside, or if it's just microcode (emulating SHA-256 hashing via micro-ops).
I couldn't find any info about GPUs, except this one for nVidia and AMD.
It would be interesting if someone could calculate the probability of a modern PC solving a BTC block... must be hundreds or even thousands of years?
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