Intro:
Bitcoin, operating on the principles of mathematics and cryptography, relies on key concepts such as digital signatures, hash functions, and the intricate relationship between hash rate and proof-of-work mining. This short article aims to elucidate these concepts and their significance in securing the Bitcoin network.
Hash Rate:
Hash rate, a pivotal metric in the world of cryptocurrencies, measures the computational power employed to process and secure the Bitcoin network. The security of Bitcoin hinges on the mathematical properties of cryptographic algorithms, ensuring the network’s resilience against manipulation. Higher hash rates indicate increased computational speed in solving complex mathematical puzzles, thereby enhancing the security of the network.
Proof-of-Work (Mining):
Mining in the Bitcoin network involves solving intricate mathematical problems, referred to as hash puzzles, through computational power. Miners engage in a competitive race to be the first to solve these puzzles, earning the right to add a new block to the blockchain. The hash rate, akin to the speed of solving these puzzles, plays a crucial role in determining the efficiency and security of the network. The current mining reward, or block reward is 6.25 bitcoin. This will be reduce to 3.125 in 2024, this is called the halving, which occurs every 210,000 blocks.
Hash Functions:
Bitcoin employs cryptographic hash functions, such as SHA-256 and others, to generate unique, fixed-size hash codes from input data. Blocks in the blockchain are linked through the hash of the previous block, creating an immutable chain. This cryptographic structure ensures the security of the blockchain, as altering a single block would require changing all subsequent blocks.
There are online tools available to see how a hash works, please see:
https://coding.tools/sha256
Computing Power:
Computing power in the Bitcoin network represents the collective strength and efficiency of connected computers. Analogous to workers in a factory, these computers aim to solve the cryptographic puzzles, validating transactions and creating new blocks. More powerful computers or a higher number of workers enhance the network’s ability to solve puzzles swiftly, contributing to overall efficiency.
Relationship with Security:
The correlation between hash rate and security is evident – a higher hash rate signifies a more secure network. As the computational power increases, the difficulty of manipulating the blockchain rises, safeguarding the integrity of transactions. In the event of an attempt of a 51% attack of the bitcoin blockchain, it would cost millions in mining equipment/hardware, electrical costs. A 51% attack is when a person or group tries to gain control of a majority of the blockchain, to try to corrupt the network. If successful, they would end up mining an empty block and not collecting their block reward… because bitcoin nodes would reject the block. Nodes validate transactions, and they would not validate someone trying to create a double spend/51% attack. TLDR: It is more profitable to mine bitcoin and join the network, than to attack it.
Changes in Hash Rate:
Fluctuations in hash rate indicate shifts in network activity. An increase implies heightened security, greater computational resources, and increased electrical power consumption. The Bitcoin network has a difficulty adjustment approximately every two weeks (2,016 blocks), ensuring equilibrium as the hash rate evolves. According to Moore’s law, the observation that the number of transistors in an integrated circuit (IC) doubles about every two years. This can be related to the increase in computing power nearly doubling, approximately every two years.
Popular Proof-of-Work Blockchains:
While various cryptocurrencies employ proof-of-work, Bitcoin commands about 99% of the total hash rate. Other notable blockchains include Ethereum Classic, Dogecoin, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Bitcoin SV. The distribution of hash rates among these networks reflects their strength, security, and adoption. Bitcoin is the only relevant blockchain, as seen by the 99% hash rate dominance.
Conclusion:
In summary, hash rate, proof-of-work, and computing power are integral components of the Bitcoin network’s architecture. Higher hash rates contribute to increased security, efficient mining, and overall network robustness. Understanding these concepts is fundamental to comprehending the intricacies of the cryptocurrency landscape, especially in the context of Bitcoin’s dominance in the proof-of-work paradigm.
I would be remiss to not mention the importance of PoW mining to decentralization and the role it plays in game theory as well.
Looking ahead:
Over the last 24 months the bitcoin hash rate is up from 146 EH/s to a peak of 575.3 EH/s.
I am predicting that we will reach 1 Zettahash/second (ZH/s) by the end of 2024.