To give some informations about merge mining since there's a lot of speculation on what could happen.
Here's what i found on merge mining with an other coin:
For a simple explanation of merge mining: (info found on
http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/273/how-does-merged-mining-work ) change the bitcoin and namecoin names for emc2 and the other coin we could merge mine with.
First, the miner must assemble a transaction set for both block chains. He then assembles the final Namecoin block and hashes it. He then creates a transaction containing this hash that is valid in the Bitcoin chain and inserts it in the Bitcoin transaction set at the tip of the tree. He then assembles the final Bitcoin header with this transaction in it and sends out the work units.
If a miner solves the hash at the Bitcoin difficulty level, the Bitcoin block is assembled and sent to the Bitcoin network. The Namecoin hash does nothing and the Bitcoin network ignores it.
If a miner solves the hash at the Namecoin difficulty level, the Namecoin block is assembled. It includes the Namecoin transaction set, the Namecoin block header, the Bitcoin block header, and the hash of the rest of the transactions in the Bitcoin block. This entire "mess" is then submitted to the Namecoin system. The Namecoin system, supporting merged mining, accepts this as proof of work because it contains work that must have been done after the block header and Namecoin transaction set was built. (Because you can't build the Bitcoin transaction set containing that hash, and therefore the Bitcoin header that secures it, without that information. So it proves the work was done.)
Pros:
-Technicality of both coins stays the same (block time, difficulty retarget option, total amount of coins)
-51% attacks protection increased with th hashrate of both network combined
-For the same hashrate you use to mine one coin, you get coins from the other network
cons:
- needs a hard fork for the implementation
- No one knows what the miners of both networks will do with the extra coins they get
- If the community decide they don't want to merge mine anymore, an other hard fork is needed
- Pools operator have to setup their pools properly for merge mining, which mean that there's a chance that not all pools switch
The smaller coin do the hard fork for the merge mine, the bigger coin don't need to do any changes. It's an option we have to keep in mind since the goal of emc2 is for people to mine it, bigger the network, bigger are the donations.
If we choose this options we need to decide if we want to merge mine with a bigger coin (ltc, doge, etc.) or we find 2-3 small coins, that have been around for some times and proved they weren't just a Pump and dump scheme, to create a bigger network for those coins.
We need to choose carefully and wisely because the merge mine will have an impact on the image of the coins involved. You can't choose any coins and you can't do it just because it looks great.
I hope this clarify merge mining as an option to help emc2 survive this rough time.
Let's see who want to see the merge mine happening, if the community wants it. We'll have to look for the potential coins to merge with after.
