Intel gets patent for power-friendly bitcoin mining
Partner offers
The Block may may earn a commission if you use our partner offers, at no extra cost to you.
A better way to handle the cryptographic math behind bitcoin is the heart of a new patent recently granted to Intel. The chip-making giant notes that while rewards are granted for mining bitcoin on specialized machines, "the power consumption [of the needed] hardware accelerators is the recurring cost for the bitcoin mining." These application-specific integrated circuits, or ASICs, can consume upwards of 200 watts, Intel said. The patent describes a way to perform the SHA-256 algorithm -- used in bitcoin's "proof of work" -- more efficiently. If implemented in future ASICs, Intel said, the improvements could "reduce the overall circuit area and power consumption by about 15%." (Source: USPTO)
AUTHOR
John Biggs is an entrepreneur, consultant, writer, and maker. He spent fifteen years as an editor for Gizmodo, CrunchGear, and TechCrunch and has a deep background in hardware startups, 3D printing, and blockchain. His work has appeared in Men’s Health, Wired, and the New York Times. He runs the Technotopia podcast about a better future. He has written five books including the best book on blogging, Bloggers Boot Camp, and a book about the most expensive timepiece ever made, Marie Antoinette’s Watch. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. Disclosure: Biggs owns and maintains cryptocurrencies in a private account and has been consulting with startups regarding blockchain-based products. He also edits and writes for startup clients.
See More
