[PROPOSED] The Happy Seeder Miner attack - mine superblocks, make inflation

[hotcoldcoin]

Many of the current crop of altcoins with superblocks and/or variable rewards use random seeds derived from "cut out" sections of the previous block hash.  

These altcoins are: CDC, DMD, ELP, GDC, GIL, GRW, LKY, NUG, PHS, RED, SPT and STR.

With enough hashing power, a miner could find a block hash that both meets the difficulty level and includes the proper cut out section to seed the next block to be a superblock (and/or high variable reward block).

If such a "Happy Seeder" miner were effective it would cause inflationary pressure on the altcoin.  The forcefulness of this inflationary pressure would vary for each altcoin according to its reward structure.

How much hashing power would it take to make this effective per each altcoin?

This is vaporware now.  Just wondering if there is interest.


note: Thread unmoderated, trolling allowed!

[claycoins]

Do you mean they could make it so that they solve more superblocks than is intended in the code or that they would be able to get the superblocks over anyone else?

[DeathAndTaxes]

Why would one do that?

Block hashes are random.  So the only way a miner could guarantee the next block will be a superblock would be to throw away VALID blocks which result in the next block being normal.

Every block thrown away simply means less revenue for the miner.  While they would publish more superblocks, it isn't because they found them faster, it was merely because they threw away valid blocks which don't lead to a superblock.

BTW:  superblocks are generally speaking pointless but I don't see there is no mechanism to profit from this.  At best an attacker could use it to drive down the value of the coin.

[hotcoldcoin]

Do you mean they could make it so that they solve more superblocks than is intended in the code or that they would be able to get the superblocks over anyone else?

Either/Or really.   If using an altruistic setting, the Happy Seeder Miner would create seed blocks but not mine for the resulting superblocks.   If using a greedy setting, the miner would both create seed blocks and try to solve the resulting superblocks.

Either way the effect would be to skew the monetary base of the currency beyond what was intended in the code, inflating the total number of coins and devaluing the current coins.

[hotcoldcoin]

Why would one do that?

Block hashes are random.  So the only way a miner could guarantee the next block will be a superblock would be to throw away VALID blocks which result in the next block being normal.

Every block thrown away simply means less revenue for the miner.  While they would publish more superblocks, it isn't because they found them faster, it was merely because they threw away valid blocks which don't lead to a superblock.

Yes, the intent of the Happy Miner is not to gather as many coins as possible, but instead to disrupt the monetary basis of the currency.   Thus dropping valid low-reward blocks is a key part of the strategy.

BTW:  superblocks are generally speaking pointless but I don't see there is no mechanism to profit from this.  At best an attacker could use it to drive down the value of the coin.

Again, the intent is not to profit.  The intent is to disrupt.   It's not as blatant as a 51% attack, surely.  But such a Happy Seeder attack could do more then just devalue the coin.  If it was really effective it would clearly show to everyone that the chain is vulnerable and not to be trusted.   That's how coins die.