Post
Topic
Board Bitcoin Discussion
Re: Why ASIC's Should Not Be The Future Of Crypto Currencies
by
SgtSpike
on 01/11/2012, 20:39:29 UTC
Don't see why botnet operators have anything to do with this??

Even with ASIC, botnets will still exist.  Wink

If they want to make the same amount of money as they were before ASIC's, they will just have to add more nodes to their botnet.  Roll Eyes

So that doesn't change anything for anyone really..
It changes quite a lot.

Botnets cost a certain amount, and are valued at a certain amount.

If a $500/monthly botnet rental brings in $2,027.40/month of bitcoins, then it is a worthwhile investment.
If the same botnet (after ASICs are released) bring in $150/month of bitcoins, then it's a waste of the botnet renter's time.

Likewise, if a botnet owner can mine $2,027.40/month of bitcoins, but only rent it out at $500/month, then it makes sense to mine on that botnet instead of renting it out.  But if ASICs are released, and the same botnet would only bring in $150/month worth of Bitcoins, then it makes sense to rent it out instead of mine bitcoins with it.

Most botnets are already at their max size.  In other words, they can't just "add more nodes" to their botnet - the nodes are being added at precisely the rate that people's computers are infected.  An operator couldn't just increase the infection rate - if they could, they would have already done so.  For some reason, you seem to think it is as easy as the click of a button and doesn't cost anything.