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I downloaded the torrent with the entire blockchain and tried to open bootstrap.dat.
With its 17GB it is obviously too large for most text editors, so I programmed a VB.NET app to do this.
Assuming encoding ISO-8859-1, I get this rather confusing line:
""ù¾´Ù ;£íýz{²zÇ,>gvaÈÃQ2:¸ªK ^J)«_Iÿÿ ¬+| ÿÿÿÿMÿÿ EThe Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banksÿÿÿÿ ò* CAgý°þUH'gñ¦q0·\Ö¨(à9 ¦ybàê aÞ¶Iö¼?Lï8ÄóUå ÁÞ\8M÷º WLp+kñ _¬ ù¾´Ù× oâ""
Assuming UTF8 does not make much more sense either:
"���� ;���z{�z�,>gv�a�È�Q2:���K ^J)�_I�� �+| ����M�� EThe Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks���� �* CAg����UH'g�q0�\֨(�9 �yb�� aI��?L�8��U� ��\8M�� �W�Lp+k� _� ����� o�"
Will it work if I change the encoding on this VB.NET code?
System.Text.Encoding.UTF8
With its 17GB it is obviously too large for most text editors, so I programmed a VB.NET app to do this.
Assuming encoding ISO-8859-1, I get this rather confusing line:
""ù¾´Ù ;£íýz{²zÇ,>gvaÈÃQ2:¸ªK ^J)«_Iÿÿ ¬+| ÿÿÿÿMÿÿ EThe Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banksÿÿÿÿ ò* CAgý°þUH'gñ¦q0·\Ö¨(à9 ¦ybàê aÞ¶Iö¼?Lï8ÄóUå ÁÞ\8M÷º WLp+kñ _¬ ù¾´Ù× oâ""
Assuming UTF8 does not make much more sense either:
"���� ;���z{�z�,>gv�a�È�Q2:���K ^J)�_I�� �+| ����M�� EThe Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks���� �* CAg����UH'g�q0�\֨(�9 �yb�� aI��?L�8��U� ��\8M�� �W�Lp+k� _� ����� o�"
Will it work if I change the encoding on this VB.NET code?
System.Text.Encoding.UTF8
It's really cool that it can be implemented so easily.
When BTC is optional I see no reason not to do so for restaurants. Also cafeterias, bars, even super markets should do it.
Or, well, the only reason not to my be legal / accounting.
When BTC is optional I see no reason not to do so for restaurants. Also cafeterias, bars, even super markets should do it.
Or, well, the only reason not to my be legal / accounting.
If I owned a restaurant, I'd add a QR code on the bill. It would be an optional feature.
The implementation wouldn't be too difficult. A programmer could make this in one day.
Waiters could be taught how to deal with it in one hour.
Risk of cheating would be so low that zero confirmations would be needed (status pending sufficient).
What would be printed on the bill would be something like this:
Optional:
Pay with BITCOIN.
$21.12 USD = BTC0.04189 XBT
[QR Code]
Scan and pay with your smartphone.
Ask waiter for further instructions.
The implementation wouldn't be too difficult. A programmer could make this in one day.
Waiters could be taught how to deal with it in one hour.
Risk of cheating would be so low that zero confirmations would be needed (status pending sufficient).
What would be printed on the bill would be something like this:
Optional:
Pay with BITCOIN.
$21.12 USD = BTC0.04189 XBT
[QR Code]
Scan and pay with your smartphone.
Ask waiter for further instructions.
Blockchain.info worked for a while this morning, but my robot is blocked again. Note that I only make one request every 30 seconds - no more.
All I would need is actually just the last block, raw from the blockchain would do, but stability is very important. Where else can I find this?
All I would need is actually just the last block, raw from the blockchain would do, but stability is very important. Where else can I find this?
I can open https://blockchain.info/q/getblockcount in my browser, but a program I made cannot access it.
The program is supposed to check the blockchain once every 60 seconds. If I cannot access blockchain.info, is there another source?
The program is supposed to check the blockchain once every 60 seconds. If I cannot access blockchain.info, is there another source?
Thanks for replies.
If I got it correctly an attacker can secretly mine a chain of blocks. If he reveals the chain, and his chain is longer, he will then reverse all transaction back to the first block of his chain. If he has more than 50% he can routinely do this, hence make Bitcoin practically unusable. An attacker with less than 50% can only do this at occasions and cause minor problems. Correct?
If I got it correctly an attacker can secretly mine a chain of blocks. If he reveals the chain, and his chain is longer, he will then reverse all transaction back to the first block of his chain. If he has more than 50% he can routinely do this, hence make Bitcoin practically unusable. An attacker with less than 50% can only do this at occasions and cause minor problems. Correct?
>A computer is a no go.
Unless encrypted with TrueCrypt
>A paper wallet can be seized/burned/lost.
Make several copies
>A web wallet could vanish while I was in prison.
True
Write your seeds/keys on a paper. Make three copies of it. Cut each paper into three pieces. Now you have nine notes, call them A1, A2, A3 for first paper, B1, B2, B3, for second paper, and C1, C2, C3.
Hide each piece at a separate location.
If you are be able to collect (A1 or A2 or A3) and (B1 or B2 or B3) and (C1 or C2 or C3) your coins are saved. It is unlikely that someone else will know what to do with these notes even if they find them.
Unless encrypted with TrueCrypt
>A paper wallet can be seized/burned/lost.
Make several copies
>A web wallet could vanish while I was in prison.
True
Write your seeds/keys on a paper. Make three copies of it. Cut each paper into three pieces. Now you have nine notes, call them A1, A2, A3 for first paper, B1, B2, B3, for second paper, and C1, C2, C3.
Hide each piece at a separate location.
If you are be able to collect (A1 or A2 or A3) and (B1 or B2 or B3) and (C1 or C2 or C3) your coins are saved. It is unlikely that someone else will know what to do with these notes even if they find them.
As far as I've understood an attacker can destroy the Bitcoin-network if he solves several blocks in a row.
Say the attacker needs to solve six blocks in a row to destroy the network.
He can do this even with 10% of the hashing power, although it is unlikely.
Probability of solving six blocks in row is 0.1^6, equals one in a million, or inversely, the probability of not doing so is 999,999 / 1,000,000.
But he only needs to do this once, not necessarily starting at the next block. He can just as well do it 10,000 blocks down the road.
Which leads us to the probability of not doing it any of these 10k times to (999,999/1,000,000)^10,000 = 0.99, or inversely, there is a 1% chance the attacker will succeed within the next 10,000 blocks.
Do the math and see how this increases if the attacker has 15%, 20%, 30% and so on.
What I wonder is
1) Is my premise wrong? Can bitcoin be destroyed if one attacker mines several blocks in a row?
2) Is there something else that makes 51% the threshold for being able to destroy the network?
Say the attacker needs to solve six blocks in a row to destroy the network.
He can do this even with 10% of the hashing power, although it is unlikely.
Probability of solving six blocks in row is 0.1^6, equals one in a million, or inversely, the probability of not doing so is 999,999 / 1,000,000.
But he only needs to do this once, not necessarily starting at the next block. He can just as well do it 10,000 blocks down the road.
Which leads us to the probability of not doing it any of these 10k times to (999,999/1,000,000)^10,000 = 0.99, or inversely, there is a 1% chance the attacker will succeed within the next 10,000 blocks.
Do the math and see how this increases if the attacker has 15%, 20%, 30% and so on.
What I wonder is
1) Is my premise wrong? Can bitcoin be destroyed if one attacker mines several blocks in a row?
2) Is there something else that makes 51% the threshold for being able to destroy the network?
What do you think about this domain name www.Block777.com?
I planned to make a casino where you bet on events on the Blockchain.
I tried making it but I'm no programmer. Was too hard.
Therefore I instead listed this domain for sale at $777
I planned to make a casino where you bet on events on the Blockchain.
I tried making it but I'm no programmer. Was too hard.
Therefore I instead listed this domain for sale at $777
1. Bitmain's revenues are in BTC
2. Chips/equipment bought probably with FIAT
3. The price of BTC took a dive
4. He is in China. Even possible to convert BTC to FIAT anymore?
My bet is that he is in BIG financial trouble. Let's hope he delivers!
2. Chips/equipment bought probably with FIAT
3. The price of BTC took a dive
4. He is in China. Even possible to convert BTC to FIAT anymore?
My bet is that he is in BIG financial trouble. Let's hope he delivers!
Has anyone calculated the marginal Watt per increase in GH/s?
Say you clock from from chip_freq 393.75 (202GHs) to chip_freq 400 (205GHs).
The increase in GHs is 3. If this requires 12W more, then the marginal Watt/GH/s is 12/3 = 4. Hardly profitable (depends on $/kWh).
I think mining has reached the point where overclocking may no longer pay off. However, it needs to be tested.
Say you clock from from chip_freq 393.75 (202GHs) to chip_freq 400 (205GHs).
The increase in GHs is 3. If this requires 12W more, then the marginal Watt/GH/s is 12/3 = 4. Hardly profitable (depends on $/kWh).
I think mining has reached the point where overclocking may no longer pay off. However, it needs to be tested.
Before mod my antminer was consuming 348W on the wall on 180GH/s but now it takes only 260W on 165GH/s.
Assuming $0.20/kWh
Without undervolting: Daily $6.04 mined minus $1.67 electricity = $4.37 daily profit
After undervolting: Daily $5.53 mined minus $1.20 electricity = $4.33 daily profit
Right now we are at the point where undervolting starts making sense for those with expensive electricity.
I am one of those. Just want to know the risks before I start doing it.
I read about undervolting CPUs that the only risk is less stability, i.e. it may reboot now and then. I guess for Antminer that a symptom of too low voltage is high HW error. Right?
How exactly does one withdraw BTC from an ATM?
BTC does not exist in physical form....... what exactly do you get back from the ATM machine?
BTC does not exist in physical form....... what exactly do you get back from the ATM machine?
A traditional ATM is no different. Usually it deducts some numbers on an account and gives you cash. Some ATMs let you deposit cash and in return it adds numbers on an account.
Deposit FIAT for BTC should be simple. Scan your address QR code, insert cash, that's all. If some ATM is more complicated it is probably because of regulations.
Withdraw BTC for FIAT needs time to verify. A 3rd party wallet should eliminate this problem. Doesn't LocalBitcoins have an ATM prototype that works like this?
Withdraw BTC for FIAT needs time to verify. A 3rd party wallet should eliminate this problem. Doesn't LocalBitcoins have an ATM prototype that works like this?
What does mining have to do with crooks? Still trying to wrap my head around the title.
A crook (a dishonest person, especially a sharper, swindler, or thief) will mine using illegal free electricity. An honest miner will not.
In the short run honest miners will invest in new equipment that uses less and less W/GH/s. This will enable them to make a profit for a while. But it also means that older mining equipment will be useless. They will be sold at eBay for almost nothing. Say $50 for an antminer.
I imagine especially students who have access to un-metered electricity will pick up these. Even if one miner generates only $1/day, some cheap-ass eastern europens will run, say, three of these at no cost and cash in $1000 a year.
What are the risks of undervolting?
I don't know the physics of it, so please excuse my ignorance
1. If I undervolt but do not underclock, what will happen? Will HW errors simply increase, or do I risk the antminer getting damaged?
2. If I both undervolt and underclock, but it turns out I undervolted too much, the same logic applies as in #1?
3. I do not have a volt meter (and I dont know how to use one). Can I simply try with a little bit? The risk is applying too much graphite, not too little, right?
I don't know the physics of it, so please excuse my ignorance
1. If I undervolt but do not underclock, what will happen? Will HW errors simply increase, or do I risk the antminer getting damaged?
2. If I both undervolt and underclock, but it turns out I undervolted too much, the same logic applies as in #1?
3. I do not have a volt meter (and I dont know how to use one). Can I simply try with a little bit? The risk is applying too much graphite, not too little, right?
I cannot open https://www.bitmaintech.com/ nor could I ten hours ago.
Isn't it just a matter of time before the cost of electricity becomes higher than the value of mined bitcoins?
In the short run, say next six months, the trend will be more professional data centers. These have economies of scale and cheap electricity. Obviously Average Joe will not make money anymore with his Antminer.
From 2015 I believe even the data centers will lose. People with free electricity will learn that mining generates a "free" income. Some have free electricity on their rental contracts. Others are illegally connected. There will even be some who deliberately mine at a loss. Say you own a business. The cost of electricity reduces the profit, hence taxes, while the mined bitcoins are never reported. For employees it becomes even more lucrative as the employer takes the cost.
These ways of mining are mostly illegal, but I believe enough people will do it anyway. Another, more honest, use of miners is for heat. Canadians, Scandinavians and Russians should all be mining
In the short run, say next six months, the trend will be more professional data centers. These have economies of scale and cheap electricity. Obviously Average Joe will not make money anymore with his Antminer.
From 2015 I believe even the data centers will lose. People with free electricity will learn that mining generates a "free" income. Some have free electricity on their rental contracts. Others are illegally connected. There will even be some who deliberately mine at a loss. Say you own a business. The cost of electricity reduces the profit, hence taxes, while the mined bitcoins are never reported. For employees it becomes even more lucrative as the employer takes the cost.
These ways of mining are mostly illegal, but I believe enough people will do it anyway. Another, more honest, use of miners is for heat. Canadians, Scandinavians and Russians should all be mining