Bitcoin Forum

Is it possible to build a decentralized supercomputer from networked bitcoin miners?

No, BTC miner hardware is only able to do calculations of double-sha256 targeting the lowest possible difficulty value. They are unable to do any form of general computing.

I think it is already so but it works on only one Sha256 algorithm.

But if you mean a supercomputer to do other computer work that needs a super treatment such as simulation programs, I expect this is not possible, because ASIC is unable to process such data.
BTC mining devices can not process other algorithms such as LTC, DAS, DOGE, so how can they do other more complicated missions and convert them into a supercomputer?

In other words, ASIC are one -purpose processor, while computer processors should be multi -purpose capable of processing any type of data.

I believe it is possible during the early years of Bitcoin mining since Bitcoin miners use cpu and gpu. This two are flexible enough to do other computer works but the creation and migration of miners to ASIC removed that option since as stated ASIC is created for specific function only and that is to mine Bitcoin at a specific algorithm.  If it is not sha256 algorithm, then it can't help.

Though it is still possible if there are still miners that still mine Bitcoin with CPU and GPU.

I believe your question is related to this article @OP  https://techcrunch.com/2016/12/27/how-blockchain-can-create-the-worlds-biggest-supercomputer/

What you ask for is called 'cluster server', where several computers connected with a network connection work together.
https://community.fs.com/blog/what-is-a-server-cluster.html

In the way how you described it, it makes not much sense, as that architecture requires fast connection between servers, to minimize the fact they are separated instances. With a random computers around the world it would be very difficult.

 

Technically there are already networks for running some programs such as Folding@Home and Prime95. These are running on people's desktops and laptops and communicating with a central server, so it's not truly decentralized (but for scientific tasks, I don't see why that would be necessary).

If it's decentralized then who will get the mining reward?

And why do you want to make it decentralized? i feel it's better to get a group of people to make that supercomputer and share the reward among all the people who spend money on that supercomputer.

Maybe I'm not getting the decentralized concept here, but I feel it's impossible to make a project like that. Because it has a cost, and people who spend money on it would expect a reward. But what you can do is create a decentralized mining pool to let any supercomputer join it.

So? I don't see why that would be a problem; that it doesn't need fast internet. If anything, it's a benefit, no?

No no; Prime95 is indeed a decentralized computing project. Just some people don't know it, calculate some primes to heat their system and shut it off again.

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Miners are already globally decentralized and whichever miner submits the next valid block receives the mining reward.
Do you really think Bitcoin mining has to be centralized to be able to determine 'who will get the mining reward'?

Mining and supercomputer are 2 completely different concepts. You can't mine on a supercomputer and you can't compute on mining hardware.

If it is decentralized everyone that is willing to pay the reward could benefit from the system. It would not be limited by politics, wars or other factors. With that also every one could point their computer to it to supply power. I think it would not work, because people would abuse it, but in genreal it would be a beautiful thing.

I want to point out that there is a difference between distributed and decentralized.

TL;DR: Decentralized is related to control. Distributed is related to performance. They are independent properties.

Decentralized means that it is not controlled by any single entity. Ethereum is an example of a decentralized computer. Whether it is a supercomputer or not can be debated. Anyone can have Ethereum do any computation and the computation cannot be stopped or manipulated by anyone. That is what decentralized does. Decentralized refers to control, and to some degree robustness.

Distributed means that a process is split among many nodes that are all working in parallel to achieve a combined result. Bitcoin is not distributed. In Bitcoin, the same processes are performed by everyone. Distributed processing is to increase performance, and to some degree robustness.

So, when you ask about a decentralized supercomputer, I think you are really asking about a distributed supercomputer, which is not relevant to Bitcoin because Bitcoin is decentralized, but not distributed.

Absolutely! Even Folding@Home sometime takes a while to download all the data for a computing task. That could definitely be a big limitation for a 'decentralized supercomputer' project such as proposed in this thread.
Sorry for the misunderstanding. :)

You seem to suggest that decentralized computing 'would not work, because people would abuse it', completely oblivious to the fact that various existing such projects have been mentioned in this very topic (which only has a single page)?

Again, just for you (only naming a few):

• Bitcoin mining
• Folding@Home
• Prime95