From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: from smtp1.linuxfoundation.org (smtp1.linux-foundation.org [172.17.192.35]) by mail.linuxfoundation.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id AB394516 for ; Thu, 6 Apr 2017 02:49:16 +0000 (UTC) X-Greylist: from auto-whitelisted by SQLgrey-1.7.6 Received: from outmail149101.authsmtp.com (outmail149101.authsmtp.com [62.13.149.101]) by smtp1.linuxfoundation.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id E06C1187 for ; Thu, 6 Apr 2017 02:49:15 +0000 (UTC) Received: from mail-c247.authsmtp.com (mail-c247.authsmtp.com [62.13.128.247]) by punt24.authsmtp.com (8.14.2/8.14.2/) with ESMTP id v362nDvH058674; Thu, 6 Apr 2017 03:49:13 +0100 (BST) Received: from petertodd.org (ec2-52-5-185-120.compute-1.amazonaws.com [52.5.185.120]) (authenticated bits=0) by mail.authsmtp.com (8.14.2/8.14.2/) with ESMTP id v362nB5V063863 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=NO); Thu, 6 Apr 2017 03:49:12 +0100 (BST) Received: from [127.0.0.1] (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by petertodd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id 38420400FF; Thu, 6 Apr 2017 02:49:11 +0000 (UTC) Received: by localhost (Postfix, from userid 1000) id 9F612205F6; Wed, 5 Apr 2017 22:49:10 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2017 22:49:10 -0400 From: Peter Todd To: Bram Cohen Message-ID: <20170406024910.GA1271@savin.petertodd.org> References: <20170406023123.GA1071@savin.petertodd.org> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/signed; micalg=pgp-sha256; protocol="application/pgp-signature"; boundary="opJtzjQTFsWo+cga" Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.23 (2014-03-12) X-Server-Quench: 9dbd4ee7-1a73-11e7-bcdf-0015176ca198 X-AuthReport-Spam: If SPAM / abuse - report it at: http://www.authsmtp.com/abuse X-AuthRoute: OCd2Yg0TA1ZNQRgX IjsJECJaVQIpKltL GxAVKBZePFsRUQkR aQdMdgQUGUUGAgsB AmEbW1deVFR7WGE7 bghPaBtcak9QXgdq T0pMXVMcUgZuA0Jz A3geVBp6cQYIeX5w Y04sVyQJCEAvIEFg Qx9TFnAHZDJndTJM BBZFdwNVdQJNeEwU a1l3GhFYa3VsNCMk FAgyOXU9MCtqYA50 ekkVN1UKRl0CGmx0 ZhYCHD8uAUwDSG06 ZxchNFMGAA4YLlk7 OlhpXlRQLx8faEV0 Hl1GBy5fb2EmeGIl EAVRQU8ZFlUA X-Authentic-SMTP: 61633532353630.1038:706 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 Cc: Bitcoin Protocol Discussion Subject: Re: [bitcoin-dev] BIP proposal: Inhibiting a covert attack on the Bitcoin POW function 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, 06 Apr 2017 02:49:16 -0000 --opJtzjQTFsWo+cga Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable On Wed, Apr 05, 2017 at 07:39:08PM -0700, Bram Cohen wrote: > On Wed, Apr 5, 2017 at 7:31 PM, Peter Todd via bitcoin-dev < > > While I'm in favour of blocking covert usage of ASICBOOST, there's every > > reason > > to block non-covert usage of it as well. In a low margin business like > > mining, > > the advatange it gives is enormous - quite possibly 10x your profit mar= gin > > - > > and given that barrier free access to being able to purchase ASICs is > > already > > an archilles heal for Bitcoin there is every reason to eliminate this l= egal > > vulnerability. Additionally, it's a technical vulnerability as well: we > > want > > getting into the ASIC manufacturing and design business to have as low > > barriers > > to entry as is feasible, and the ASICBOOST exploit significantly increa= ses > > the > > minimum capital requirements to do so. > > >=20 > Asicboost also has the problem that it isn't treating the hashing as a > black box, and thus has impacts on what gets mined. In particular it > creates an incentive to make blocks smaller. That's a very unwanted effec= t, > and anything like it should be engineered out on principle. Agreed! There's no benefit to Bitcoin for having it - one way or the other miners are going to destroy ~12BTC/block worth of energy. Meanwhile it appe= ars to have lead to something like a year of stupid political bullshit based on= a secret advantage - there's no reason to invite a repeat of this episode. --=20 https://petertodd.org 'peter'[:-1]@petertodd.org --opJtzjQTFsWo+cga Content-Type: application/pgp-signature; name="signature.asc" Content-Description: Digital signature -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- iQEcBAEBCAAGBQJY5ayhAAoJECSBQD2l8JH7N2wH/1neYHE9o5XsU/C/Go8X7Si6 qko+vZI2yBLpO5fbDvNFtOSDhe5s5xo7baZcvPiwPDi/kCuZUL6M4i/sKEQObSl6 ZDah2OkWq7A5QMaORA9cNAWO8n5SwC+O3DeuJQHd1pA5LwypvLcvLf2zBCSODTgr TF+wCgyPA9/NpPmTEVmC5Cu/F0FNA7/lppfzVjAH9KztQEACVATpD7m6n3qZZ0GX 3q0SORFnNGJ9BjVfBehVpKnb/aMG63qYfQ61X9CDFpktLRFgP0nMUjkhPj3RP/FC sFdB5Lnc7qod/qX0qHcOs5IZFpHBzxFZxCutNl5bRybP6ix2YuUcrW1T3++PBIE= =kBPD -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- --opJtzjQTFsWo+cga--