Post
Topic
Board Development & Technical Discussion
Re: How random is the last digit of a block hash really is?
by
Cryddit
on 12/07/2016, 03:56:28 UTC
To be fair: 

You shouldn't rely on the randomness of the hash if people are betting on it.  Especially not after the hashing.

If you have a miner who stands to make more on the bet than they would on the block subsidy, the economics can favor them getting a hash low enough to make a block, but then withholding it, looking for a hash low enough to make the block *AND* having a final digit that will win them the bet as well.  They risk losing the block subsidy if another miner finds a block first, but they can also instantly release the block they found the first instant they get a whiff of the other miner's block, and then they have a nearly-equal chance of getting the block subsidy anyhow.  Meanwhile, they go on looking to win the bet.