Rudarjenje bitcoinov s podatkovno pretočnim računalnikom Maxeler

MEDEN, ROK (author), Kos, Anton (mentor), Tomažič, Sašo (comentor)

Bitcoin je prva decentralizirana kriptografska valuta, ki omogoča neposredno trgovanje med entitetami po vsem svetu. Nakazila se izvedejo preko spleta s t. i. digitalnimi kovanci - bitcoini, ki se sproti ustvarjajo in izdajajo pri procesu rudarjenja bitcoinov. Rudarji s prilagojeno računalniško rudarsko opremo tekmujejo pri potrjevanju nakazil in širjenju javne knjige nakazil (t. i. verige blokov) z namenom prejetja nagrade v bitcoinih in na ta način varujejo omrežje Bitcoin. Ker je rudarjenje bitcoinov izjemno tekmovalna panoga, se rudarji povezujejo v rudarske bazene in si na tak način povečajo svoje možnosti za prejem in razdelitev nagrade. Pričujoče magistrsko delo obravnava rudarjenje bitcoinov s podatkovno pretočnim računalnikom Maxeler, model MAX2336B. Čeprav je ta podatkovno pretočni računalnik pri rudarjenju bitcoinov občutno hitrejši in energijsko učinkovitejši od klasičnih računalnikov, zaradi prevlade specializiranih vezij ASIC ni več primeren za rudarjenje bitcoinov.

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: Bitcoin, bitcoin, kriptovaluta, rudarjenje bitcoinov, podatkovno pretočno računanje, Maxeler, MAX2336B
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Organization: FE - Faculty of Electrical Engineering
• Year: 2017
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-88918
• Publication date in RUL: 31.01.2017

Secondary language

• Language: English
• Title: Bitcoin Mining Using Maxeler Data Flow Computer

Abstract

Bitcoin is the first decentralized cryptocurrency that allows a direct trading between entities all over the world. Transactions are executed over the Internet with so-called digital coins - bitcoins, which are created and issued simultaneously through the mining process. The miners with the proper bitcoin mining rigs compete at validating bitcoin transactions and expanding the public transaction ledger (blockchain) in order to earn the reward in bitcoins, thus protecting the Bitcoin network. Because the bitcoin mining is a very competitive activity, the miners merge into mining pools to increase their chances for earning and sharing the reward. The thesis covers the bitcoin mining process with the Maxeler dataflow computer, model MAX2336B. Even though this dataflow computer is considerably faster and more energy efficient in bitcoin mining than classic computers, it is no longer appropriate for bitcoin mining due to the supremacy of specialized ASIC circuits.

• Keywords: Bitcoin, bitcoin, cryptocurrency, bitcoin mining, dataflow computing, Maxeler, MAX2336B