I don't understand this fear of asic : it's the same difference with cpu/gpu. Why, if I make IRD asic proof, I do not have to make it gpu proof ? it will be fair too. Personally I do not have any rig, nor a correct GPU for mining.
...And of course, software aside, current IRD miners (with CPUs/GPUs) would be completely wiped out by anyone with access to just a couple of those 200kH/s ASICs. The blockchain and coin issuance certainly won't care because IRD has probably the best difficulty adjustment algorithm now, but remaining on CryptoNightV1 will mean a huge extinction event in the base of miners. It's not something that will happen gradually, but over night. Which means a huge impact on the general user base, which for young coins is always dominated by people who mine.
I am sure there are many more arguments pro and contra a change to CryptoNightV2. I think it should be discussed, because the first CryptoNight ASICs will ship soon.
The Baikal one (probably FPGA, not ASIC) is weak in terms of hashing power and a few units of that one won't make a dent. But once those >200kH/s monsters are being shipped, we should know which path we want to go.
Well put, @nanona, except I think it might be too late for IRD. Other CN coins are also taking a "wait-and-see" approach (DERO and ITNS, for two examples) but IRD is in a much more precarious place with just ~500kH/s on its entire network; if a single Bitmain X10 with 220kH/s decides to mine IRD it will basically increase network hashrate by 50%!
Ironically, there would have been some defense against ASICs by not getting listed on an exchange, as ASIC miners tend to be relentless and implacable sellers of whatever they mine so any coin not on an exchange would likely be avoided by them, but of course that obstacle has just been removed.
Considering that IRD doesn't have a special use case (unlike, say, DERO or ITNS), the original dev abandoned it months ago and the new devs don't seem to care whether ASICs crash their party or not I suspect grim days are ahead for this coin. I, for one, have stopped mining it, and though I am in no hurry to sell my IRD, neither am I interested in acquiring more.