I have a weird idea about bitcoin...

[phonky]

...but need the help of you folks.

I read some stuff about bitcoin but I can't answer this myself.

Is the bitcoin protocol intrinsically linked to bitcoin mining?

Or in other words, could I come up with something totally different as mining algorithm and still be using the bitcoin protocol to disseminate newly created coins? I am perfectly aware that these would not be genuine bitcoins, and in fact, they don't need to be. It would be some kind of a fork.

My gut feeling tells me it's all "one", an interrelated stack. And probably, my idea of how to generate new coins cannot possibly be as secure and robust as bitcoin is, if at all possible, but it would be wonderful if it could, and that's why I am trying this forum with the experts.

In short: generating coins in a different way but divulgate through the network, is that possible?
Thanks

[DannyHamilton]

No.

Bitcoin mining is the creation of blocks for the bitcoin blockchain.

Miners take a set of unconfirmed transactions and package them together in a block.  Then they calculate a SHA-256 hash of the block. If the hash meets the protocol specified difficulty, then they broadcast that block to peers who verify that all the transactions are valid, and that the block was properly built, and that the hash has the appropriate value.  Then they add the block to their own copy of the blockchain and relay it to their peers.

The "new coins" are really just a special transaction in the block that the miner packaged up.  If you don't create a bitcoin transaction and put it into a bitcoin block then you don't have bitcoins.

[wowcheesestick]

mining is to prove that the past transactions are accurate. you cannot do what you just descirbed.

[phonky]

thanks guys, I was guessing right then...

too bad for me but it's alright

[jmw74]

thanks guys, I was guessing right then...

too bad for me but it's alright

I don't know what these other guys are talking about, of course you could create a fork where the mining is done completely differently.

Granted, the entire rest of the bitcoin network would consider your fork invalid, so it wouldn't do you any good unless you could convince a significant number of people to use it.  And there would be potential double-spend issues where anyone who had coins before the fork could spend them both on your network and on the main one.

That's assuming of course you wanted to keep the current ledger of who owns what. 

I don't see that this would serve any useful purpose, if you are starting with just one person using this currency, (you), you might as well start fresh, and not communicate with the bitcoin network at all.  That's what all the altcoins did.

[DannyHamilton]

- snip -
I come up with something totally different as mining algorithm and still be using the bitcoin protocol
- snip -

- snip -
I don't know what these other guys are talking about, of course you could create a fork where the mining is done completely differently.
- snip -

Sure, but then you wouldn't really be "using the bitcoin protocol", would you?

[alphonse3]

to disseminate newly created coins? I am perfectly aware that these would not be genuine bitcoins, and in fact, they don't need to be. It would be some kind of a fork.

Yes, litecoin uses "scrypt" instead of what bitcoin uses. it's totally different

[jmw74]

- snip -
I come up with something totally different as mining algorithm and still be using the bitcoin protocol
- snip -

- snip -
I don't know what these other guys are talking about, of course you could create a fork where the mining is done completely differently.
- snip -

Sure, but then you wouldn't really be "using the bitcoin protocol", would you?

Yes, you would.  The other nodes would understand what yours is saying, but they just wouldn't like it.

[tyz010]

Sure, there are plenty of alternative SHA256 based currencies out there.  They just aren't compatible with bitcoins because they are on different blockchains.

[Guido]

to disseminate newly created coins? I am perfectly aware that these would not be genuine bitcoins, and in fact, they don't need to be. It would be some kind of a fork.

Yes, litecoin uses "scrypt" instead of what bitcoin uses. it's totally different

not sure i understand this
what is 'scrypt'
is litecoin script very similar to bitcoin with just this difference?

as notice new altcoins tend to use litecoin as their model rather than bitcoin

[phonky]

Aaaaah now this is becoming interesting!

Where do you guys recommend for me to look at in order to get a step further? I am a software developer with quite some experience but not so much mathematical background.

I don't mind if the entire bitcoin community would consider my new coins/fork invalid. I don't need them to agree to my approach, and I don't want to attack the original either. I am trying to use the formidable technology and thinking behind bitcoin for application in another context. In other words, it would become another parallel currency  - a fork.

Thanks!!!

[jmw74]

Aaaaah now this is becoming interesting!

Where do you guys recommend for me to look at in order to get a step further? I am a software developer with quite some experience but not so much mathematical background.

I don't mind if the entire bitcoin community would consider my new coins/fork invalid. I don't need them to agree to my approach, and I don't want to attack the original either. I am trying to use the formidable technology and thinking behind bitcoin for application in another context. In other words, it would become another parallel currency  - a fork.

Thanks!!!

I think what you are really after here is your own alt-coin.  Alt coins do not even attempt to communicate with bitcoin nodes.  Doing so would be wasteful and probably seen as an attack (however small).

Bitcoin generally runs on port 8333.  Litecoin is on 9332.  So their traffic is totally separated. 

[energetix_user]

but not so much mathematical background.

you not a good developer

[lostgods]

What would be the point of this?