Bitmain’s first batch update:
https://blog.bitmain.com/z9/shipping_update/2018-06-19.html
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At the very least, network security and product development should include a continuous plan for updating the algo to promote decentralization. So in this case, resisting ASICs. This is not a discussion of “a single fork” to address the issue but it would need an ongoing effort to maintain the network.
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while price goes down, spikes hit 14M…
I think no need to see the difficulty chart daily as you will have more pain. Just leave it for the market decide or make another vision/choice.
ASIC resistance is not inevitable. it’s difficult but that’s about it. You can technically create an ASIC for any algorithm true. The potential of that ASIC over Generic computational device such as GPU/CPU is what matters as “resistance” eg. Touted E3 miners for Ethash is barely efficient over GPU rigs. I am talking about efficiency terms. If you make it algo heavily memory bound, the ASIC machines will suffer unless the ASICs also utilize high speed memory which will make them much more expensive.
ASICs are not going to help in anyway to make a network more secure/robust.
What makes people think some giant corp is not going to invest into 100 ASICs instead of 100,000 GPUs?
The only limiting factor is capital investment and energy consumption. In fact, in the case of ASICs, the energy consumption is much lower so the big giant corp mining farm would be willing to get more and lead to centralization.
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Yes I agree with you 100%. However, an algorithm such as Ethash that limits ASIC performance over GPU/CPU is not an absolute or permanent solution. While Ethash may achieve this today it will not necessarily do the same in 12 months.
ASIC technology is evolving very rapidly. I have personally been involved with the development of 9 ASIC’s in a different field, and today we are doing things we could not even dream of just 18 months ago. Interconnect technology is moving very fast and is one of the main limitation in high density ASIC development. Two years ago getting even 70% of 128 X 128 connections on a 100um pitch to work was considered a success. Today we can achieve 99.9% of 256 x 256 on a 50um pitch, and things are getting much much smaller.
With high quality, high yield interconnections shrinking so rapidly, it will blur the lines between ASIC, PCB, and Memory (on ASIC memory vs off ASIC memory). So in my opinion the Ethash limitations on ASIC performance is very temporary.
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1, ASIC mining machine’s monopoly degree is far lower than GPU/CPU
There are at least seven major miners in the market that are fully competitive (Bitmain, Avalon, Ebang, BW, Bitfury, innosilicon，Canaan), and there are only two major GPU/CPU manufacturers (Intel & AMD, AMD & NVIDIA).
2, ASIC mining machine is much less difficult to manufacture than GPU/CPU
As long as the billion-dollar funds, it is enough to set up a new ASIC mining machine manufacturers. At present, at least double-digit ASIC miners are in the stream, and are about to enter the melee. ASIC miners are highly competitive and decentralized. Without tens of billions of dollars of funds, it is impossible to establish a new CPU/GPU vendor.
3, mining is currently not the main business of GPU/CPU vendors
But if Bitcoin’s next bull market, like 2013 and 2017, rises another hundred times? Will mining become the main business of GPU/CPU vendors? Note that NVIDIA has already started supplying graphics cards specifically designed for mining.
4, each household has a GPU / CPU, and they will put these GPU / CPU mining mining, is a completely different two things.
From the statistics of the graphics card mining pool, it can be known that 99% of graphics cards still come from large-scale deployment of mines.
Large-scale deployment of graphics cards mines
Almost no personal graphics card power, will withstand several times the mine’s civilian electricity prices to mining. One of the two split schools in the community is seriously lacking in economics.
- Specialization and large-scale mining are inevitable results of economic development
No matter what equipment is used, there will be large-scale mines even after CPU mining. Those who think that there will be no mines with CPU/GPU will lack the most basic economics knowledge.
Digging PTS CPU Mine
In contrast, ASICs are the most decentralized at the device level, far better than highly monopolized CPUs/GPUs.
- The appearance of the mine is part of Satoshi Nakamoto’s design
Nakamoto said:
It would be left more more and more to specialists with server farms of specialized hardware
Nakamoto See the original " Bitcoin expansion dispute:" decentralized "controversy "
Satoshi Nakamoto believes that specialists (specialists) should run server farms (specialized mining hardware).
Specialized ASIC professional miners with high sunk costs are the best guarantee for bitcoin security.
Instead of hackers controlling a no-cost CPU/GPU botnet,
Not to bitcoin dead and no loss at any time, at any time you can pat Pat.
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coming back to this thread…
DO WE HAVE A YES OR NO FROM ZCASH TEAM ON A FORK TO STOP ASICS? All I can see is that they said “we are going to investigate the impact of ASICs currently on the network”.
Even if the answer is “no”, it’s 1000x better than leaving us hanging. At least provide an answer?
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reading through i got suspicion that dev position on asic’s are OK.
they believe that makes network more secure.
zooko even posted graphs 
lol
meanwhile price goes down and diff spikes hit 14M.
that kills off real decentralized gpu mining.
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Price last 7 days for Zcash +1.04%, just compare it to 7 days Monero -5.07% …
No idea what price chart you are using but compared to Monero Zcash is doing perfect …
last time you said that zec follows btc, now you’re comparing to monero, what will be next? maybe stick to zec?
im saying diff raise while price drop puts off gpu miners.
frustrated how devs couldnt care less.
Ping. Please check out thread:
I plan to use mine on luckpool. They have always been rock solid for me (for Zen)
3500 Z9 mini’s shipped so far! My guess was 10,000 total, but it is looking like it is even higher than that.
We all know which one amongst them is leading the pack. Intel/AMD/Nvidia have other goals/target/markets unlike mining machine mfg. Beside the one leading the pack is not just mfg these machines but also using, selling and has potential to control crypto.
Nvidia is not making mining specific cards. It’s the AIB partners who are doing it which is nothing but exactly like other GPU cards without the display headers and custom BIOS and shorter warranty.
Each house hold won’t even have a GPU. But GPUs are accessible more likely to the world and has much higher chances to achieve decentralization.
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I am speculating that the goal for bitmain with batch 2 is to have a 100% takeover of equihash 200-9 coins. 10-20% from batch one.
And with the reported hashrates of around 14.5kH/s thats around 11k units.
One doesn’t exclude the other and at least i don’t make for every 1 cent down Asics responsible but compare at see what happens with the main coin (Bitcoin) and direct competitors (Monero) where you still have your “decentraliced gpu mining”…
1.) I’am happy with my job 
2.) Noddy? From dictionary: Foolish Person? What’s that you have to get personal and offend me? 
3.) Anything else i can do for you? 
Wow, that would leave Innosilicon and Asicminer with 0% Share of Equihash with their 50k and 40k Asics …
Pretty sure Innosilicon and Asicminer won’t like your prediction…
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