Author

Topic: First easy step towards ">50%" protection (Read 2052 times)

hero member
Activity: 742
Merit: 500
June 11, 2011, 01:17:06 PM
#7
For implementing this, you'll need to convince all the pool's owners to replace their software. And it will not stop others from creating "classic" pools.

My solution is compatible with all existing pools and doesn't requres pool author's cooperation.
legendary
Activity: 2058
Merit: 1452
hero member
Activity: 742
Merit: 500
This is interesting. Every miner would have be a node if I understand correctly.
No, it's much more simple. You don't have to be a node to count five hashes back.
full member
Activity: 154
Merit: 100
This is interesting. Every miner would have be a node if I understand correctly.
legendary
Activity: 1652
Merit: 2301
Chief Scientist
This would be like a 6-blocks-back block chain lock-in.  Maybe not a bad idea at this point (unlike the early days when legitimate users might throw lots of new hashing power at the network or there might have been network splits because there were so few nodes).

I think there would have to be an override, in case there WAS an hour or two or three network split.

Or maybe some attempt to detect double-spends (e.g. more-than-5-block-split OK if all transactions are valid on both chains).

newbie
Activity: 14
Merit: 0
good idea
hero member
Activity: 742
Merit: 500
Miner authors can implement simple detection routine that will stop mining if pool jumps back for more than a 5 blocks (checking by the hash of previous block).
This will make ">50%" attack much more difficult to accomplish.

There is also another vulnerability to cover - the block holding, this may me the next task for miners.
By doing this, at least all honest miners can be sure that their pool is not trying to make a fork.

Overtaking the pools or pool owners to disrupt the blockchain will be useless if the protection will be implemented in the miner software.
Jump to: