ProgPoW - short for "Programmatic Proof-of-Work" ("Programmable confirmation of the implementation of work"), also from time to time a comic version of PorgyPoW is used (from the name of the porg birds from the 5th episode of the movie "Star Wars": the last jedi ") is a refreshed version of the Ethash blockchain consent method.
What is the purpose of ProgPoW?
The ProgPoW method is designed to increase the productivity of mining with the help of CPU and GPU and thereby increase its advantages in the competitive fight against mining on ASIC devices.
ASIC proliferation potentially threatens:
- a decrease in the earnings of the owners of the CPU and GPU and a decrease in their motivation to maintain the network;
- manipulation of the blockchain protocol by large miners;
- centralization of mining.
Consequently, in order to prevent these threats, with the advent and proliferation of ASIC devices, creators began to create new iterations of the initial PoW method ("Confirmation of the implementation of work"), which are intended to be "ASIC-resistant".
Method creation, protected from equipment with selected good features, was always a difficult task. Ethash method, which is used in the mining of Ethereum tokens, also designed to be ASIC resistant, but turned out to be unproductive.
Who, when and how developed ProgPoW?
ProgPoW made in 2018 year members of the ifdefelse development team: «Miss If» (Christy Lee-Minehan, a.k.a OhGodAGirl), «Mr. Else» (a.k.a RadixPi) и «Mr. Def».
The development of ProgPoW was inspired by discussions on ASIC resistance on the Web in March 2018 of the year. Ethereum developer Pipermerriam publicized EIP (Ethereum Improvement Proposal, "Proposal to improve the quality of ethereum") 958, which was intended to modify the Ethash method towards ASIC resistance.
The development process was accelerated by the start of sales by Bitmain Antminer E3, ASIC-miner, which works with Ethash method. However, it later became clear, that the Antminer E3 is a rather crude device, among users, critical sentiments began to grow in relation to ASIC resistance.
In April 2018 Lead Ethereum Developer Vlad Zamfir Spent poll "Will you support the hard fork, which will make ASIC miners unproductive ". fifty-seven percent of the participants spoke in favor of the hard fork, which retains ASIC resistance.
Around the same time under the EIP 969 it was suggested to change Ethash.
These two EIPs, ongoing discussions about ASIC resistance, and also the fact, what 2018 around a year, a thousand people voted on GitHub to research ASIC resilience, encouraged IfDefElse members to start developing a truly ASIC-resistant algorithm.
ProgPoW technical features
ProgPoW is an optimized Ethash. As part of the operation of this algorithm, each iteration in the search for a solution to the problem (internal memory access loop) Is a randomly generated program based on the block number. Such a working model requires full utilization of GPU resources and its potential. (excluding floating point operations and graphics pipelines, which had to be abandoned, so that the algorithm is suitable for equipment from different manufacturers).
ProgPoW makes the condition of the task for mining inconsistent - an ASIC miner is able to perform only one specific task, as indicated by its name, Specialized integrated circuit, and therefore not flexible enough to work with ProgPoW. Unlike ASIC, GPU is able to quickly adapt to constantly changing conditions of the mining task. In this way, ProgPoW enables GPUs to achieve performance metrics, comparable to those of ASIC.
Criticism of ProgPoW and the current state
The ProgPoW topic has been discussed in the Ethereum community for quite some time..
IN 2018 opposition to ProgPoW was moderate, as ASIC resilience remained an important goal for the Ethereum community.
In September 2018 of the year Linzhi Mining announced the release of an efficient Ethash ASIC device. Company Took extremely hostile attitude towards ProgPoW, and even claimed, what is able to develop ASIC for ProgPoW.
Rumors spread that, that ProgPoW was created by two major GPU manufacturers - AMD and Nvidia.
At the beginning 2019 of the year, Ethereum users started voting on ProgPoW. By April 2019 of the year 93% respondents, controlling 2,93 million ETH, supported by ProgPoW. The Ethereum development team has agreed with their opinion several times., and then changed position. Finally, it was decided to implement ProgPoW, with that condition, that the new algorithm will pass audits. Audits were successfully completed, and in January ProgPoW offer (EIP-1057) It was put forward.
21 February 2020 Ethereum developers agreed, that the activation of the ProgPoW code will take place approximately in July.
24 February Vitalik Buterin Expressed bewilderment about, what is ProgPoW, one time pushed on the shelf until better times, has reappeared on the agenda and is even considered for inclusion in the next Ethereum hard fork.
27 February 2020 a number of well-known representatives of the Ethereum community signed a petition urging to refuse to activate ProgPoW. They consider this proposal hasty., and potentially even split the network., There is currently no required support for ProgPoW adoption.
However, Ethereum developer James Hancock is convinced, that a split is unlikely. Furthermore, he believes, that ProgPoW is one of the "most ready" offers for activation. Martin Svende from the Ethereum Foundation agrees with him, also insisting on the advisability of activating this offer.
According to Christy Lee-Minehan and Vitalik Buterin, cause of serious controversy, emerged in the community in connection with the new algorithm, serves as "lack of communication".
Revealed 4 Martha 2020 years vulnerability in ProgPoW Launched a new round of discussion.
Currently Ethereum users, seem to be, tired of discussions, several years. Vitalik Buterin said, that he "will be satisfied with any decision".
Another meeting of the Ethereum development team members, during which ProgPoW will be discussed, appointed on Friday, 13 Martha 2020 of the year.
