Replying to Avatar Laser

#Bitcoin mining doesn't work by "solving complex math equations".

Better to think of miners as engaged in a computationally expensive guessing game to determine the winning hash needed to write the next block in the timechain.

To normies, it might make more sense to conceptualize proof of work as miners "rapidly generating large, expensive guesses" until, by way of hashing, the winning guess is found to "unlock" the privilege to write the next block.

Guessing game > solving math equations

nostr:note1tg2cmp0xexqcq46hrhtx4xc8ug99aurr5ancyxek97g2x4c9dvpsnx44un
Avatar
dern 11mo ago

When i was writing about bitcoin i ALWAYS pushed back on the “complex math problem” analogy.

I used “lottery”. Miners can pull lots of tickets, etc etc

Pushing nonces thru a function ain’t “math” to me

Reply to this note

Please Login to reply.

Discussion

Avatar
Laser 11mo ago

Lottery is a good analogy.

Although it's a bit more like constructing expensive, random keys that "unlock" the door containing the ability to write the next block.

Avatar
dern 11mo ago

For sure. Definitely an incomplete analogy (lottery), but useful when trying to explain it to the layperson