Bitcoin mining computer architectures
The SHA-256 algorithm is a well-defined sequence of steps that consists of simple Boolean operations performed repetitively on 32-bit data items. The algorithm does not require very much memory when operating on a small block (bitcoin block headers are always 80 bytes). This type of problem is ideal for performance optimization using a digital hardware design dedicated to this application.
The input to the mining algorithm is a candidate block header. The bitcoin block header contains the following data items:
- Bitcoin version number (4 bytes): This field identifies the version of the bitcoin core software. The miner selects a version number that is compatible with the miner’s bitcoin software.
- Previous block hash (32 bytes): The hash of the previous block in the blockchain. This value is retrieved from the bitcoin network as the hash of the current latest block in the blockchain.
- Merkle root (32 bytes): This hash...
