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Other => Beginners & Help => Topic started by: KommandoComputers on December 27, 2013, 03:45:26 AM



Title: Difficulty
Post by: KommandoComputers on December 27, 2013, 03:45:26 AM
If the worldwide hashrate remained a constant would the difficulty increase due to the nature of the expanding block chain history?


Title: Re: Difficulty
Post by: decrypter on December 27, 2013, 03:47:10 AM
I don't think it would.


Title: Re: Difficulty
Post by: yogi on December 27, 2013, 03:50:31 AM
No, difficulty is used to control the block production rate.


Title: Re: Difficulty
Post by: bitcoinguru42 on December 27, 2013, 03:54:24 AM
That "If" is almost impossible, the hash rate could not stay constant unless literally every individual has 24/7 uptime and no-one comes or leaves which is like finding a four leaf clover under a double rainbow


Title: Re: Difficulty
Post by: DannyHamilton on December 27, 2013, 05:09:14 AM
If the worldwide hashrate remained a constant would the difficulty increase. . .

The bitcoin minung difficulty is entirely based on the amount if time it takes to solve 2016 blocks. If it takes less than 20,160 minutes then difficulty us increased. If it takes more than 20,160 minutes,  then difficulty is decreased. 


Title: Re: Difficulty
Post by: corky876 on December 27, 2013, 05:46:35 AM
Ah ok so this is how the difficulty is determined.  Didn't really think about it being possible for difficulty to decrease, but I guess theoretically it could.  I don't really understand why you say 20160 minutes though.  Is the minutes you are reffering to not a unit of time, but a different computing minute?


Title: Re: Difficulty
Post by: bitcoinguru42 on December 27, 2013, 05:54:26 AM
Ah ok so this is how the difficulty is determined.  Didn't really think about it being possible for difficulty to decrease, but I guess theoretically it could.  I don't really understand why you say 20160 minutes though.  Is the minutes you are reffering to not a unit of time, but a different computing minute?
difficulty has in fact decreased in the past fyi


Title: Re: Difficulty
Post by: DannyHamilton on December 27, 2013, 05:59:22 AM
Didn't really think about it being possible for difficulty to decrease, but I guess theoretically it could.

It not only "could", it has.

I don't really understand why you say 20160 minutes though.

Difficulty is adjusted every 2016 blocks. Difficulty is adjusted to bring block creation closer in line with an average of 1 block every 10 minutes. If blocks are being solved faster than that, difficulty is increased proportionally to slow down block solving. If blocks are solved slower than that,  difficulty is decreased proportionally to speed up block creation.

2016 blocks at 10 minutes per block = 20,160 minutes.

Is the minutes you are reffering to not a unit of time, but a different computing minute?

A unit of time, as in 1/60 of an hour, or 1/1440 of a day, or 60 seconds.


Title: Re: Difficulty
Post by: infinitybo on December 27, 2013, 08:18:04 AM
@KommandoComputers Sure because the difficulty increase every 10 minutes due to the nature of the expanding block chain history.


Title: Re: Difficulty
Post by: hunnaryb on December 27, 2013, 10:03:21 AM
@KommandoComputers Sure because the difficulty increase every 10 minutes due to the nature of the expanding block chain history.

Nope, if worldwide hashrate remained a constant, difficulty stay about the same


Title: Re: Difficulty
Post by: fjone on December 27, 2013, 11:07:33 AM
Hi!

Is there a good website for predicting future difficulty levels?


Title: Re: Difficulty
Post by: DannyHamilton on December 27, 2013, 05:45:18 PM
@KommandoComputers Sure because the difficulty increase every 10 minutes due to the nature of the expanding block chain history.

You are wrong.

Please avoid giving advice in the future until you've taken some time to actually understand how bitcoin works.  Otherwise you are simply increasing the amount of confusion and misunderstanding that exists in the world.