wccftech.com in the tech world is well known for it's clickbait articles that are nothing but rumors. never take anything they write seriously without verification. I wouldn't doubt it's a paid for article.
This is an interesting narrative. And one I have not proven myself. I have heard it is more true on asian dark net servers. But I would think the latest addition of Monero at Dream (I think?) would fly in the face of this a little. Dark net vendors are getting more savvy little by little.
Asians as a whole have generally used LTC than their western counterparts.
Will this protocol change affects botnets mining? And if it affects that, does it means hashing power will dive at least for some time around fork period?
Will there be a chance of a chain split because these "70% unknown" hash power comes from botnets and that they might not just switch the software version promptly, leaving and old "ghost" chain burning power and taking some unaware souls?
It is meant to prevent ASIC miners. There was speculations that someoen build ASIC miner so if that is the case then mining hash power should reduce. I think there is little chances for that. Also if that is the case, those that have ASIC miners will now start an offensive against this change. Since with this change will lose their advantage.
No one can tell how many hash power comes from bootnets. Can be 99%. Botnets operators can easily join any pool. So as any miner can mine solo or on private pool. On that pie 70% was marked as unknown only because maker of that pie know names of pools that do only 30% of hashpower . If he would do homework a bit better could easily add few % more. Saying "because these "70% unknown" hash power comes from botnets" is simply wrong.
Ok, but you answered none of my points... I actually want to know if it will impact on botnet mining (not if it was target for that). And also, I agree that it is not right to say that 70% are indeed botnet, which I didn't. I may have expressed myself bad, but what I meant was: "IF a great part of that 70% unknown hash rate DO comes from botnets and that botnets are mining using old code, will we have any hash power break down upon update?"
Effecting Botnets is not a stated goal AFAIK, so it would be tough to know until the code is out and tested.