Return-Path: Received: from smtp1.linuxfoundation.org (smtp1.linux-foundation.org [172.17.192.35]) by mail.linuxfoundation.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 2B18FF51 for ; Thu, 18 Jan 2018 16:36:53 +0000 (UTC) X-Greylist: from auto-whitelisted by SQLgrey-1.7.6 Received: from outmail148108.authsmtp.net (outmail148108.authsmtp.net [62.13.148.108]) by smtp1.linuxfoundation.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 7587547C for ; Thu, 18 Jan 2018 16:36:52 +0000 (UTC) Received: from mail-c245.authsmtp.com (mail-c245.authsmtp.com [62.13.128.245]) by punt22.authsmtp.com. (8.15.2/8.15.2) with ESMTP id w0IGaoQC066498; Thu, 18 Jan 2018 16:36:50 GMT (envelope-from pete@petertodd.org) Received: from petertodd.org (ec2-52-5-185-120.compute-1.amazonaws.com [52.5.185.120]) (authenticated bits=0) by mail.authsmtp.com (8.15.2/8.15.2) with ESMTPSA id w0IGamqM008980 (version=TLSv1.2 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 bits=256 verify=NO); Thu, 18 Jan 2018 16:36:49 GMT (envelope-from pete@petertodd.org) Received: from [127.0.0.1] (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by petertodd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id DE9D0400B5; Thu, 18 Jan 2018 16:36:47 +0000 (UTC) Received: by localhost (Postfix, from userid 1000) id 7BD3A202EF; Thu, 18 Jan 2018 11:36:44 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2018 11:36:44 -0500 From: Peter Todd To: Jefferson Carpenter , Bitcoin Protocol Discussion Message-ID: <20180118163644.GA11829@fedora-23-dvm> References: <58fa85b8-cba3-ee34-8c96-41c6c7bfbf9c@gmail.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/signed; micalg=pgp-sha256; protocol="application/pgp-signature"; boundary="+HP7ph2BbKc20aGI" Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <58fa85b8-cba3-ee34-8c96-41c6c7bfbf9c@gmail.com> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.23 (2014-03-12) X-Server-Quench: c7fa1a3a-fc6d-11e7-9f3b-9cb654bb2504 X-AuthReport-Spam: If SPAM / abuse - report it at: http://www.authsmtp.com/abuse X-AuthRoute: OCd2Yg0TA1ZNQRgX IjsJECJaVQIpKltL GxAVKBZePFsRUQkR aAdMdwoUElQaAgsB Am4bWlJeU1t7XWo7 bghPaBtcak9QXgdq T0pMXVMcUwURdk1c R2MeUhF7fwUIfXx0 bQgxWSYKXRV5JFsr EUgACGwHMGB9YTYc Al1RJFFSdQcYLB1A alQxNiYHcQ5VPz4z GA41ejw8IwAXFTxa WAgBLFQdCX4MIXY1 Qx8FBzQzHUht X-Authentic-SMTP: 61633532353630.1039:706 X-AuthFastPath: 0 (Was 255) X-AuthSMTP-Origin: 52.5.185.120/25 X-AuthVirus-Status: No virus detected - but ensure you scan with your own anti-virus system. X-Spam-Status: No, score=-2.6 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,RCVD_IN_DNSWL_LOW autolearn=ham version=3.3.1 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.3.1 (2010-03-16) on smtp1.linux-foundation.org Subject: Re: [bitcoin-dev] Upgrading PoW algorithm X-BeenThere: bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.12 Precedence: list List-Id: Bitcoin Protocol Discussion List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2018 16:36:53 -0000 --+HP7ph2BbKc20aGI Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable On Wed, Jan 17, 2018 at 04:31:52PM -0600, Jefferson Carpenter via bitcoin-d= ev wrote: > Bitcoin's difficulty will be maxed out within about 400 years, by Moore's > law. (After that - supposing the software does not crash when difficulty There's no reason to think Moore's law will last for 400 years; if it did mining Bitcoin blocks would require astronomical energy levels. I haven't actually done the math, but having to convert a mass-energy equivalance of a planet or two per block is probably an accurate lower-bound even with quant= um computers. Once we're at that point, the problem is the speed of light: we'= ll run out of energy in our 10 minute light radius, and thus need to get it fr= om farther away, at which point the 10 minute block interval forces a hard fork anyway because mining no longer is in consensus. tl;dr: This is a topic for sci-fi writers, not bitcoin-dev Also: https://xkcd.com/605/ --=20 https://petertodd.org 'peter'[:-1]@petertodd.org --+HP7ph2BbKc20aGI Content-Type: application/pgp-signature; name="signature.asc" Content-Description: Digital signature -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- iQEzBAEBCAAdFiEEFcyURjhyM68BBPYTJIFAPaXwkfsFAlpgzRkACgkQJIFAPaXw kfvizAgAuP4r34NcrHsgAs+cb9iXMsdGJ5grJH5AFRMK+6LCb0qEFLhAFDwzMERv h6mB10dxqliFPDu7jizGvjndcbcffhpKEXvJPjrQuoJb+UCu0YIbvoqs55gG0gbz Nwk3Qh4MuWfCbuaJkHL2+y//S0BnrQsf+MMyt87+sZBYoW1hQ7jYMLcagpvT7e3y Jx0exb4pdaeSTAnwdcADCAx+EI2tisX7X/+0jT++XCZAv5L0L3tVDwPwgKWAWfQ2 ln/idAtBkW31RZT2B2u3wsSiR0QYVmtl5a8/hp++oqCh3R6iRtzPc7lI2SHN1Gv3 lBcZVb34/+3qHTyo6l98k5D9p+uW4w== =qJ0Y -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- --+HP7ph2BbKc20aGI--