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September 05, 2013, 05:13:06 PM |
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SHA-256 and Scrypt are different hashing algorithms. SHA256 is part of the SHA-2 family and the standard hashing algorithm that is used in most cryptographic software. Its a fast and secure algorithm. Scypt is the hashing funktion of tarsnap, which is very memory intensive and therefor slower than the SHA algoritms. This means it is more secure against brute force hacking, and the developers of the first scrypt coins believed this would also make it impossible to run the hashing on the GPU, which is usually dimensions faster than hashing on the CPU. Sadly they have chosen a poor parameter setup, so that it not 100000 times faster than CPU hashing SHA-256, its only 1000 times faster. So the main reason to create an GPU resistant coin cant be archived with this aproach, but the good thing is that there is now diversity and if one of the algorithms would be cracked (which means your coins would become worthless) then you would still have the other type of coins. There are other coins that use other hashing algorithms like scrypt-jane (the diffencere between GPU and CPU is small and getting lesser over the time) or using a combination of different SHA-3 candidates. There are even coins that use a totaly different Proof of Work with no hash solving (like Primecoins, which solve prime numbers).
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