Mining Machine Computing Power Limit via Timestamp Sleep
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Solution Overview
Problem
The centralization of computing power in blockchain mining machines due to the use of high-performance hardware and configurations leads to a monopoly, which decentralized blockchain design aims to avoid, but existing methods are ineffective in limiting excessive computing power.
Innovation Solution
A method that utilizes a dictionary library and timestamp to control the generation of Nonce values, where mining machines enter a sleep state if the time difference since the last timestamp generation is less than a preset threshold, limiting the number of combinations tried per unit time and preventing excessive computing power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mining machines use high-performance hardware and configurations (such as ASIC instead of GPU), then computing power per second is improved, but computing power becomes centralized and diversity of miners is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by requiring mining machines to enter sleep states at regular intervals. The system divides time into multiple time windows and mandates that mining machines alternate between working states and sleep states, rather than operating continuously. This periodic interruption limits the total computing power that can be applied to mining operations, preventing any single machine from dominating the network despite having superior hardware capabilities.
2Productivity
If mining machines operate continuously with maximum computing power, then mining productivity is improved, but computing power centralization occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the operational state of mining machines dynamic rather than static. Mining machines transition between working states and sleep states based on the current time window and their assigned time window sequence number. This dynamic state change ensures that even machines with maximum computing power cannot maintain continuous operation, thereby preventing computing power centralization while preserving mining productivity through controlled intermittent operation.
3Reliability
If consensus algorithm is adjusted to resist centralized computing power, then blockchain security is improved, but it is still impossible to avoid centralization of computing power
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-assigning time window sequence numbers to mining machines before the mining process begins. Each mining machine is given a specific sequence number that determines when it should be in a working state versus a sleep state. This preliminary assignment of operational schedules prevents computing power centralization from the outset, rather than attempting to address it after centralization has occurred, thereby maintaining both blockchain security and decentralized computing power distribution.
Data Source
AI summary
A method applied to a mining machine for limiting computing power includes utilizing a dictionary library and a timestamp to control Nonce combination that can be tried per unit time. If all strings in the dictionary library have been tried, as long as a time difference between time of generating most recent timestamp and the current time is less than a preset threshold, the mining machine must wait in sleep state and cannot resume mining until the time difference exceeds the preset threshold. The present disclosure can avoid a situation that the calculation power of the mining machine is too strong and causes a monopoly of the calculation power.