[2015-01-07]CA - The Future of Bitcoin Mining?

[jdebunt]

http://www.cryptoarticles.com/crypto-news/the-future-of-bitcoin-mining-smaller-asic-chips-or-higher-energy-efficiency

Bitcoin mining is moving out of people’s homes and into data centers at an accelerated rate. With the mining difficulty still increasing (despite a decrease earlier this year) and the Bitcoin network requiring more and more Petahashes in order to find blocks, mining hardware manufacturers have to come up with a new plan for the future. So the question becomes, what will be the next phase of Bitcoin mining?

[odolvlobo]

Then again, it would be even better if we didn’t need to put time and effort into making smaller sized chips, but rather making the current 28nm chips far more energy efficient than they are now.

Cutting power usage would not make a difference. The limiting factor is the operating cost. If a chip uses half as much power, then you will use twice as many chips. Manufacturers can increase the hash rate or lower the power consumption. One may be cheaper or faster than the other for the manufacturer to implement, but the result is the same for the miners.

[cr1776]

http://www.cryptoarticles.com/crypto-news/the-future-of-bitcoin-mining-smaller-asic-chips-or-higher-energy-efficiency

Bitcoin mining is moving out of people’s homes and into data centers at an accelerated rate. With the mining difficulty still increasing (despite a decrease earlier this year) and the Bitcoin network requiring more and more Petahashes in order to find blocks, mining hardware manufacturers have to come up with a new plan for the future. So the question becomes, what will be the next phase of Bitcoin mining?

There has been no difficulty change this year, let alone a decrease "earlier this year."  

Score one for inaccuracy in that article.  :-)

Edit: the last adjustment was ~ Dec 30, 2014 for the record.