The decentralized computing power-sharing network Golem has partnered with software firm Allchemy for a program exploring the origins of life on Earth. The program, called LIFE@Golem, harnesses Golem’s computing power in an attempt to recreate billions of chemical reactions and molecular bonds to trace how the first forms of life could have started on the planet. Working with Allchemy — no apparent connection to blockchain developer Alchemy — Golem’s infrastructure makes it possible to simulate far greater numbers of molecules. “Although research in this arena is decades-old, it has never been conducted on similar scales, boosted by a state-of-the-art computerized …
Decentralized CPU-sharing network, Golem, published its research into a Proof of Device, PoD, mechanism for user authentication, June 5. While still a proof of concept, the research outlines a method by which users can automatically validate their hardware, proving identity in an anonymous yet trusted manner. Necessity is the mother of invention The research stems from Golem’s need to secure its own permissionless, anonymous network against Sybil attacks. It considered whether something could be implemented using Intel’s Software Guard Extensions, or SGX, which are instructions built into modern CPUs. When a suitable concept was devised, Golem realized that its applications …
The rising energy demand of proof-of-work cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) has been a hotly debated topic. But the 3rd Global Cryptoasset Benchmarking Study by the University of Cambridge shows that 76% of cryptocurrency miners use electricity from renewable energy sources as part of their energy mix. The study found that over 39% of the total energy consumed by PoW cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ether (ETH), Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and others comes from renewable energy sources. This is in contrast to a previous such study by the university, which found that only 28% of the total energy consumed for cryptocurrency mining …
Staking infrastructure provider Staked said it had learned “an expensive lesson” after 75 of its Eth2 validators were slashed on Feb. 4 from the staking pool as punishment for producing competing blocks. In a statement, Staked took the blame for the “technical issue” and said its customers would be “fully compensated”. The company will pay the penalty of 18 ETH, which is around $29,000 at current prices. An unanticipated reaction to configuration changes caused several nodes managed by Staked to restart in error, leading them to incorrectly sign a second version of a previously-signed block. This introduced the potential for …
According to a medium post on Feb. 20, the Interchain Foundation (ICF), a non-profit organization behind the creation of the Cosmos (ATOM) interblockchain communications (IBC) ecosystem, has committed to spending approximately $40 million in 2023 to develop its core infrastructure and applications. As a part of the Interchain Stack, which is utilized by around 50 blockchains, these include the Tendermint Core (and now CometBFT), Cosmos SDK, Cosmos Hub, and the IBC protocol. "Throughout the year, we envisage engaging other teams to deliver smaller, tightly defined tasks within each area of work. Such contracts will be to supplement the work of …