https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/38514/64891To put exhaustive searches into perspective, the Bitcoin network to date has done approximately 83 bits of work. This is with hundreds millions of dollars worth of investment, likely millions of ASIC chips produced, and currently over 150 megawatt of power expenditure.
Is this true? Any references about that?
Putting global bitcoin hashing into perspective seems interesting. If someone had used 83 bit let's say disk encryption and all the effort went into cracking that rather than bitcoin hashing, it would be cracked by now?
I like where you are going with this, however even though it is theoretically possible, there wouldn't be anyone foolish enough in the world to waste their hashing power for trying to crack and encryption, over using it to make the millions(?) of dollars that would rather be made from mining instead.
I too would also like to know if there is any references to how much work the network has completed to date, including total power consumption. Would be alarming numbers.
