SummaryI have developed algorithmic optimizations for Bitcoin mining which reduce the number of calculations needed per hash, resulting in a performance improvement of 15% or more compared with the best publicly known techniques. I am offering to sell information about these optimizations to ASIC vendors interested in incorporating them into a future chip design.
DetailsThese techniques are not theoretical. I have successfully implemented them in my private GPU miner and used them for several years. For reference, here are some performance numbers from my GPU miner:
- 5970 @ 725 MHz: 828.4 Mh/s
- 6990 @ 880 MHz: 965.8 Mh/s
- 7970 @ 925 MHz: 676.5 Mh/s
If you compare those numbers with other published hash rates, making sure to adjust for clock speed, you'll find that they are 15-20% faster than the best hash rates achieved by other miners. I estimate that at least a 15% improvement comes from algorithmic optimizations which are not publicly known, and which should be applicable to other technologies like custom ASICs. The precise performance improvement achievable may be slightly different on a custom ASIC compared with an AMD GPU due to differences in the relative costs of various operations on the two technologies, but I expect it to be in the same ballpark.
I should say up front that these techniques are not without drawbacks. They are somewhat more complex than the typical well-known mining optimizations, making them more difficult to put into practice. In particular, changes may be needed to infrastructure like mining software, pools, and protocols. It is not a drop-in replacement. Still, it may be worth doing if it results in a 15+% higher hash rate for given hardware and electricity costs.
Also, please don't expect this information to come cheaply. The ability to increase the performance of a generation of ASIC-based products by 15+% is quite valuable, and I will expect to be well compensated for disclosing these techniques.
If you would like to discuss using these optimizations in your ASIC design, email miningalgorithm at gmail.com.