MIME-Version: 1.0
In-Reply-To: <S5xSo0WU5O0xwb5Ot7jF8L011HUGf1oSpJSxtB93NY8qDZDwtCcNh9LSILMaZvT4uBh43jl638H7_bCz1WtSde34i0LnsNsXOyoJjuN5RIw=@protonmail.com>
References: <CAPweEDx4wH_PG8=wqLgM_+RfTQEUSGfax=SOkgTZhe1FagXF9g@mail.gmail.com>
 <S5xSo0WU5O0xwb5Ot7jF8L011HUGf1oSpJSxtB93NY8qDZDwtCcNh9LSILMaZvT4uBh43jl638H7_bCz1WtSde34i0LnsNsXOyoJjuN5RIw=@protonmail.com>
From: Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton <lkcl@lkcl.net>
Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2021 14:07:24 +0000
Message-ID: <CAPweEDxRUaGDrezZqdM9dm9QrbQtxF_JZND84SQfgX_yQUuvLA@mail.gmail.com>
To: ZmnSCPxj <ZmnSCPxj@protonmail.com>
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="00000000000041625905ba6f1b72"
Cc: Bitcoin Protocol Discussion <bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org>
Subject: Re: [bitcoin-dev] Libre/Open blockchain / cryptographic ASICs
Precedence: list

--00000000000041625905ba6f1b72
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

On Wednesday, February 3, 2021, ZmnSCPxj <ZmnSCPxj@protonmail.com> wrote:
> Good morning again Luke,

:)

> If you mean miner power usage, then power efficiency will not reduce
energy consumption.


> Thus, any rational miner will just pack more miners in the same number of
watts rather than reduce their watt consumption.

yes, of course.  the same non-consumer-computing-intuitive logic applies to
purchasing decisions for beowulf clusters.


> Thus, increasing power efficiency for mining does not reduce the amount
of actual energy that will be consumed by Bitcoin mining.

arse.

and if everybody does that, then no matter the performance/watt nobody
"wins".  in fact a case could be made that everybody "loses".

my biggest concern here is that the inherent "arms race" results in very
few players being able to create bitcoin mining ASICs *at all*.

i mentioned earlier that geometry costs are an exponential scale.  3nm must
be somewhere around USD 16 million for production masks.

if there are only a few players that leaves the entirety of bitcoin open to
hardware backdoors.

l.


-- 
---
crowd-funded eco-conscious hardware: https://www.crowdsupply.com/eoma68

--00000000000041625905ba6f1b72
Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<br><br>On Wednesday, February 3, 2021, ZmnSCPxj &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:ZmnS=
CPxj@protonmail.com">ZmnSCPxj@protonmail.com</a>&gt; wrote:<br>&gt; Good mo=
rning again Luke,<br><br>:)<br><br>&gt; If you mean miner power usage, then=
 power efficiency will not reduce energy consumption.<br><br><br>&gt; Thus,=
 any rational miner will just pack more miners in the same number of watts =
rather than reduce their watt consumption.<br><br>yes, of course. =C2=A0the=
 same non-consumer-computing-intuitive logic applies to purchasing decision=
s for beowulf clusters.<br><br><br>&gt; Thus, increasing power efficiency f=
or mining does not reduce the amount of actual energy that will be consumed=
 by Bitcoin mining.<br><br>arse.<br><br>and if everybody does that, then no=
 matter the performance/watt nobody &quot;wins&quot;. =C2=A0in fact a case =
could be made that everybody &quot;loses&quot;.<br><br>my biggest concern h=
ere is that the inherent &quot;arms race&quot; results in very few players =
being able to create bitcoin mining ASICs *at all*.<br><br>i mentioned earl=
ier that geometry costs are an exponential scale. =C2=A03nm must be somewhe=
re around USD 16 million for production masks.<br><br>if there are only a f=
ew players that leaves the entirety of bitcoin open to hardware backdoors.<=
br><br>l.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>-- <br>---<br>crowd-funded eco-conscio=
us hardware: <a href=3D"https://www.crowdsupply.com/eoma68" target=3D"_blan=
k">https://www.crowdsupply.com/eoma68</a><br><br>

--00000000000041625905ba6f1b72--