April 30, 2018

Is cryptocurrency scam?



Cryptocurrency is getting more and more popular and that means you should secure your coins better to avoid losing them. The safety issue is very important in the wake of targeted attacks at specific cryptocurrency wallets and holders.

Is cryptocurrency scam?

Cryptocurrency is not a scam, because It is 100% open source, that means it is cryptocurrency with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance. There are a lot of scam companies, websites and scammers, that wants to steal your digital money - bitconnect is one of them, but that does not mean that cryptocurrency itself is a scam. Just stay away from scammers, and use a lot of security layers like two-factor authentication and additional pin code requirements every time a wallet application gets opened and everything will be just fine.

How safe and secure is cryptocurrency?

It depends on you, how much research you do before using any cryptocurrency. But all cryptocurrencies are designed to be safer than any other money in theory, but with so many recent events, it’s a toss-up nowadays. A cryptocurrency uses cryptography for security. A cryptocurrency is difficult to counterfeit because of this security feature.

To be secured from crypto thieves follow these steps:
Secure Your PC
Use firewalls and keep all of your antivirus programs up to date. Do everything you can to secure your computer, because It only takes just one security vulnerability to have your computer hacked.
Also, use a secure operating system like Linux or Unix.

Use PC or mobile device only for buying and selling cryptos. This will add extra security layer. Devices that are used for surfing, work and pleasure activities are more likely to become infected with everything from viruses to ransomware.

Encrypt your data

You can easily Encrypt your data on a Linux based system. Simply use Cryptsetup or LUKS encryption apps to set this up. If you insist on using a windows based PC, you can use VeraCrypt. People using mac can use FileCrypt.

Backup Your Data
Make your backup files, because if your computer or any other hardware cryptocurrency wallet will be broken, you will have backup files and you will be able to restore it, however, without a backup file, your digital currency will be lost forever.

Use Cold wallets
Cold wallets are the best for people who want to store a significant amount of digital money.
Cold wallets are also paper wallets (paper wallets are the best and the safest for a long-term digital money storage) and hardware wallets. Both of them are offline, so that means they are very safe.

Stay Safe Online
Stay away from clicking links from unknown entities, enter sensitive information on secure https based websites, avoid surfing malicious websites and don’t download or execute any file whose source you’re not sure of and remove flash players, because these tend to be high-risk apps.

Make complex passwords
Do not be lazy with passwords, if you own a lot of cryptocurrency coins. setup a two-factor authentication system. This essentially means double layer protection on top of your passwords. So, if someone, for instance, were to hack your account and wants to change your password, you would be notified via email, text messages and even an automated call.


How is cryptocurrency made?

Cryptography was made in the Second World War out of the need for secure communication. Over the past years, cryptography has evolved in the computer science and digital era with elements of a mathematical theory to become a way to secure communications, information and money online.
Cryptocurrencies are built on cryptography standards.
Bitcoin is the very first cryptocurrency.

History of Cryptocurrency
In 1983 the American cryptographer David Chaum conceived an anonymous cryptographic electronic money called ecash. Later, in 1995, he implemented it through Digicash, an early form of cryptographic electronic payments which required user software in order to withdraw notes from a bank and designate specific encrypted keys before it can be sent to a recipient. This allowed the digital currency to be untraceable by the issuing bank, the government, or a third party.

In 1996 the NSA published a paper entitled How to Make a Mint: the Cryptography of Anonymous Electronic Cash, describing a Cryptocurrency system first publishing it in a MIT mailing list and later in 1997, in The American Law Review (Vol. 46, Issue 4).

In 1998, Wei Dai published a description of "b-money", an anonymous, distributed electronic cash system. Shortly thereafter, Nick Szabo created "bit gold". Like bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies that would follow it, bit gold was an electronic currency system which required users to complete a proof of work function with solutions being cryptographically put together and published. A currency system based on a reusable proof of work was later created by Hal Finney who followed the work of Dai and Szabo.

The first decentralized cryptocurrency, bitcoin, was created in 2009 by pseudonymous developer Satoshi Nakamoto. It used SHA-256, a cryptographic hash function, with its proof-of-work scheme. In April 2011, Namecoin was created as an attempt at forming a decentralized DNS, which would make internet censorship very difficult. Soon after, in October 2011, Litecoin was released. It was the first successful cryptocurrency to use a script as its hash function instead of SHA-256. Another notable cryptocurrency, Peercoin was the first to use a proof-of-work/proof-of-stake hybrid. IOTA was the first cryptocurrency not based on a blockchain, and instead uses the Tangle. Built on a custom blockchain, The Divi Project allows for easy exchange between currencies from within the wallet and the ability to use personally identifying information for transactions. Many other cryptocurrencies have been created though few have been successful, as they have brought little in the way of technical innovation. On 6 August 2014, the UK announced its Treasury had been commissioned to do a study of cryptocurrencies, and what role, if any, they can play in the UK economy. The study was also to report on whether regulation should be considered.

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptocurrency
https://bitcoinexchangeguide.com/cryptocurrency-security-guide/
https://www.genesis-mining.com/the-history-of-bitcoin

What is cryptocurrency and how is it used?


Have you ever heard of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Ripple? Do you know what is cryptocurrency and how does it work? If no, then this article is for you, because we will learn everything you need to start using cryptocurrency.


What is cryptocurrency?

You have probably heard of cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, right? Cryptocurrency is not like money you spend every day. You can't physically take it or see it, but you can spend it, trade it and even mine it. Maby it sounds crazy, but yes - you can mine cryptocurrency (you can read an article about cryptocurrency mining if you want to start mining it - Cryptocurrency mining - is it worth it?

Cryptocurrencies are called CRYPTOcurrencies because the consensus-keeping process is secured by strong cryptography.
Cryptocurrencies use decentralized control as opposed to centralized electronic money.
Digital money encryption techniques are used to regulate its use and generate its release. Cryptocurrency is not regulated or controlled by any bank, government or centralized financial authorities.

How does Cryptocurrency work?

All cryptocurrencies rely on the power of the Internet to guarantee its value and confirm transactions. Cryptocurrency users on a network verify every single transaction, and those transactions then become a matter of public record. This prevents the same digital currency or coin from being spent twice by the same person.
To track purchases and transfers, cryptocurrencies are associated with the internet that uses cryptography, the process of converting legible information into an almost uncrackable code.

To store any cryptocurrency, you need to have cryptocurrency wallet (you can read What is cryptocurrency wallet? and How safe and secure are cryptocurrency wallets?). All cryptocurrency transactions are sent between peers from cryptocurrency wallets using private and public keys. Those transactions are recorded on a public ledger of transactions called a blockchain (you can read our article about blockchain - Blockchain explained - why you should care). Blockchain - A blockchain is a continuously growing list of records, called blocks, which are linked and secured using cryptography. The transactions amounts are public, but senders transactions are encrypted. Each transaction leads to the digital money wallet. Anyone who owns cryptocurrency key or password to the wallet owns the amount of cryptocurrency denoted on the ledger. When someone sends or receives cryptocurrency, when they send from one wallet to another wallet using a set of private and public passwords, that transaction is queued up to be added to the ledger. Many transactions are added to a ledger at once. These “blocks” of transactions are added sequentially. That is why the ledger and the technology behind it are called “block” “chain.” It is a “chain” of “blocks” of transactions.

Encryption - the process of encoding a message (information) in such a way that only authorized parties can access it. In encryption, the message is encrypted using encryption algorithm and can be read only if decrypted.

Decryption - the reverse process of converting encoded data to its original un-encoded form, plaintext.


How can I use digital money?


Cryptocurrency mining
As mentioned before - cryptocurrencies can be mined.
Digital Money mining is a validation of transactions and for that miners get digital money as a reward. These rewards decrease transaction fees. To speed up the rate of generating hashes, which validates all transactions, it uses specialized machines which are used by miners. These machines are doing the work that we all know as mining. So easy explanation would be: miners are using specialized machines to mine (validate transactions) and getting rewarded with digital money.

At first, there is a miner who invests his time and computer space that runs essentially 24/7 and it does a process that is called "verifying transactions".
To create a block it has to be accompanied by a cryptographic hash that fulfills certain requirements, so with help of miners computer, network solves mathematical intensive computations regularly to find the blocks using specific data mining algorithm - set of heuristics and calculations that create a model from data-, for example - Naive Bayes, until it hits upon the right hash. Then miner submits his solution to the currency issuer and after hash verification, miner gets his reward of given number of coins. "Verifying transactions" process repeats on and on. This system is called “proof of work” and you can guess what does it mean - you do the work and you get paid for it. Bitcoin, Litecoin, and most other digital currencies use "Proof of work" system.

Cryptocurrency trading
Digital money trading, or cryptocurrency trading, is simply the exchange of cryptocurrencies. Like in Forex, you can also buy and sell a cryptocurrency for another, like Bitcoin or altcoin for USD and Euro. This is one way of getting involved in the world of cryptocurrencies without having to mine it.
Here are some cryptocurrency trading platforms, you can check:
  • https://www.binance.com/register.html?ref=10995289
  • https://cex.io/
  • https://bitflyer.com/en-us/?finder
  • https://www.kucoin.com/#/?r=1xf56
  • https://www.coinbase.com/?r=59acd7d90671d102e1c321dd
  • https://www.coinspot.com.au/?affiliate=C0EPJ
  • https://bitit.io/?referral=CCWRHBMA
  • https://localbitcoins.com/
  • https://indacoin.com/en_DE/change/buy-bitcoin-with-cardusd
  • https://www.coinmama.com/

Also, you can spend your digital money
By using the digital money to pay for goods online can cost you less in fees and bring you actual discounts. It can be challenging to find good online stores that allow you to pay with cryptocurrency, but here are some of them:
  • https://spendabit.co/
  • https://coinmap.org/welcome/
  • http://spendbitcoins.com/

What will you do with your cryptocurrency?

Sources:
https://www.natureforex.com/what-is-crypto-trading/
https://cryptocurrencyfacts.com/how-to-trade-cryptocurrency-for-beginners/
https://cryptocurrencyfacts.com/how-does-cryptocurrency-work-for-beginners/
https://cryptocurrencyfacts.com/how-does-cryptocurrency-work-2/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptocurrency
https://blockgeeks.com/guides/what-is-cryptocurrency/
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cryptocurrency.asp

April 19, 2018

How safe and secure are cryptocurrency wallets?



In the previous article, we discuss what is cryptocurrency wallet, what are the types and how do they work. This is the second article about wallets in cryptocurrency and here we will discuss what is hot and cold wallets, how secure the wallets are and go through some of the best wallets.
If you read the previous article, you already know that there are 5 types of cryptocurrency wallets which are a desktop, hardware, smartphone, online and paper wallets (you can read it here - What is cryptocurrency wallet?).

Wallets are also divided into two categories - hot wallets and cold wallets.

Hot wallets
Hot wallets are connected to the internet, so you need to be very careful because wallets that are connected to the internet is easier to hack.
Desktop wallets are also hot wallets especially if the wallet is installed on a system that’s connected to the Internet.
This category of wallets are not safe for a sizeable number of digital money, It is the best for storing small amounts, for a lot of digital money, better choose cold wallets or offline wallets.

Cold wallets
As mentioned before - cold wallets are the best for people who want to store a significant amount of digital money.
Cold wallets are also paper wallets (paper wallets are the best and the safest for a long-term digital money storage) and hardware wallets. Both of them are offline, so that means they are very safe.

Cryptocurrency wallets safety:


All of the cryptocurrency wallets have different security levels, It depends which type of them you choose to use. Offline wallets cannot be hacked because they simply aren’t connected to an online network and don’t rely on a third party for security, however, online wallets can be hacked.
Remember that no matter which wallet you use, losing your private keys will lead you to lose your money. Similarly, if your wallet gets hacked, or you send money to a scammer, there is no way to reclaim lost currency or reverse the transaction. You must take precautions and be very careful!

Keep in mind these things to secure your digital money:

  • Backup your wallet to protect you against computer failures and allow you to recover your wallet should it be lost or stolen;
  • Store only small amounts of currency for everyday use online;
  • Keep your wallet software up to date to have the latest version of security. Update regularly;
  • Add as much security as possible. Use long and complex passwords. Use the best wallets which has the best reputation and add extra security to them, for example, two-factor authentication and additional pin code requirements every time a wallet application gets opened. The more you add, the more secure your wallet will be;
  • Never install software developed by companies you don’t trust;
  • Only use verified and trusted wallets;
  • Never access online wallets from public Wi-Fi.


Some of the cryptocurrency wallets:

Desktop wallets:
  • Copay - used for bitcoin and backed by one of the world’s premiere cryptocurrency payment systems, giving it instant credibility and brand appeal.
  • Exodus - It is designed to give you complete control over your cryptocurrency assets. Users have access to nearly a dozen cryptocurrencies.
  • Electrum - supports only bitcoin cryptocurrency. It is compatible with multiple operating platforms, such as Windows, Mac, and Linux.
  • Armory - supports only bitcoin cryptocurrency and designed to help individuals and businesses safeguard and manage their bitcoin tokens.
Hardware wallets:
  • Ledger Nano S Hardware Wallet - offline, cold-storage, wallet for storing many other supported digital money coins. It can be controlled with just two buttons.
  • KeepKey Hardware Wallet -allows you to generate and store an unlimited number of private keys. A “private key” is a sophisticated form of cryptography that allows you to access your cryptocurrency. It supports multiple cryptocurrencies.
Smartphone wallets;
  • Mycelium - highly integrated bitcoin company specializing in hardware, software and security. Designed only for bitcoin and allows users to switch back and forth from regular fiat currency, like dollars, to bitcoin.
  • Coinomi - provides a secure storage platform with support for a wide variety of digital assets and a built-in exchange for fast and easy trading.
  • Mobi - allows you to send, receive and convert bitcoin in more than 100 currencies at any time with a very low exchange rate.
Online wallets:
  • Exodus - It has all the advanced features which you expect to have in any advanced level web-based online wallet. It allows you to store multiple digital currencies
  • Coinpayments - allowed more than 300 currencies to be stored in their online wallet account. Coinpayments has a mobile app too which makes it a semi-mobile wallet.
Paper wallet:
  • Mycelium - with a USB dongle that you plug directly into your printer. The device generates a paper wallet that automatically gets printed out, without ever having touched your computer.

As you can see there are a lot of digital money wallets and that's why it is easy to get lost in them especially without any knowledge about cryptocurrency wallets or cryptocurrency itself. By choosing the right wallet, you need to see all risks, all fees all costs and features. It depends on you, which type of wallet you want!

Sources:
https://ripplecoinnews.com/top-5-best-cryptocurrency-wallets
https://www.coindesk.com/information/paper-wallet-tutorial/
https://www.finder.com/coinomi-wallet-review
https://www.finder.com/mycelium-wallet-review
https://www.finder.com/keepkey-wallet-review
https://cryptopotato.com/ledger-nano-s-complete-guide-hardware-wallet/
https://www.finder.com/armory-wallet-review
https://www.finder.com/electrum-wallet-review
https://www.finder.com/exodus-wallet-review
https://www.finder.com/copay-wallet-review
https://www.finder.com.au/cryptocurrency/wallets
https://www.disruptordaily.com/top-10-cryptocurrency-wallet-mobile-apps-2017/
https://usethebitcoin.com/top-5-best-cryptocurrency-hardware-wallets-2018/
https://successresources.com/keeping-bitcoins-safe-hot-wallets-vs-cold-wallets/
https://blockgeeks.com/guides/cryptocurrency-wallet-guide/
https://99bitcoins.com/2017s-best-bitcoin-desktop-wallets-4-wallets-reviewed-mac-windows-linux/

What is cryptocurrency wallet?




Anyone who wants to have any kind of cryptocurrency will need to have a cryptocurrency wallet and know how to set up one, otherwise, you can't own any. This article will teach you how cryptocurrency wallets work, what are wallet types and what is the meaning of cryptocurrency wallets. Also, you can read our other article about wallets in cryptocurrency where we went through some of the most popular wallets and how secure the wallets are - "How safe and secure are cryptocurrency wallets?".

So what is cryptocurrency wallet?

Cryptocurrency wallets are software programs that give you access to the cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, Ethereum or Ripple - any of them that you own. It is just like a bank account that allows you to store receive send or spend digital money. As mentioned before - If you want to trade, or just have cryptocurrency, you must need to have a wallet account.

There are 5 types of cryptocurrency wallets which are:

 - Desktop wallet
Desktop wallets are installed on a computer, which is easy to do. They are available on Windows, Linux, and Mac.
Desktop wallets are very secure if a software is not connected to the internet, because the access is available only from the machine on which the wallet is installed. The disadvantage is that they also rely on you to keep your computer secure and free of malware so antivirus and strong firewall software are needed to protect your wallet.
Note: It’s important to store cryptocurrency somewhere safe in case your computer dies or you need to format the operating system and re-install your desktop wallet.

- Online wallet
Online wallets are most often owned by exchanges or by third-party organizations. They run on the cloud and very easy to set up and use. Sometimes they only ask an email and password, but most secure ones require your passport ID.
Online wallets can be accessed by any computer and anywhere and they cannot be lost, however, being online is very risky, because it can be a great target for hackers - like why to attack only one wallet when you can attack thousands of them at once? But business keeping online wallets often have servers that are far more secure than the average user’s computer.
You need to be careful choosing the right online wallet because many online wallets ask fees for all of your transitions you make. Choose the less expensive and the most secure!

- Smartphone wallet
Smartphone wallets are almost like desktop wallets, but they are running as an app on smartphones. Also like desktop wallets - very secure because the access is available only from the machine on which the wallet is installed. The disadvantage is that they also rely on you to keep your computer secure and free of malware so antivirus and strong firewall software are needed to protect your wallet.
You need to very careful with your phone using this kind of wallet because if you lose the device, anyone who finds it - gets the wallet.

- Hardware wallet
Both hardware and smartphone wallets are very similar to desktop wallets, but hardware wallet is specially designed piece of hardware or USB stick that adds another layer of security. Like USB stick - you can plug it in any computer, then access the wallet and unplug it.
Also very similar to desktop wallets, hardware wallets add another layer of security by keeping the private key on a USB stick or specially designed piece of hardware. Apart from added security, hardware wallets allow the user to plug the USB stick into any computer, log in, transact and unplug. Also, keep the device very safe and back it up regularly to have a way to recover the contents in the event of failure.

- Paper wallet
If you want the highest level of security, then this is the wallet you want, but keep in mind that this type of wallet is the most complex one.
Paper wallet uses offline private and public keys by printing them out and those printouts you can use as a wallet. These wallets will need either a key generator or a software wallet to work.
If you want to transfer money to a paper wallet, you have to use a software wallet to send money to the public key printed on the sheet of paper, but if you want to transfer money from paper wallet to a different type of wallet, you will need to transfer to software wallet and then transfer money from the software wallet to the recipient as usual.


How do Cryptocurrency wallets work?

Your wallet connects and analyzes the blockchain (you can read what is blockchain - Blockchain explained - why you should care), which allows you to receive and transfer money to and from other users of that blockchain and check your coin balance. Digital money does not have any physical form, it only has records of transactions stored on the blockchain.

When someone sends you any type of digital currency, they are signing off ownership of the coins to your wallet’s address.
To spend those coins and unlock the funds, the private key stored in your wallet must match the public address the currency is assigned to. If public and private keys match, the balance in your digital wallet will increase, and the senders will decrease accordingly.

Sources:
https://ripplecoinnews.com/top-5-best-cryptocurrency-wallets
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptocurrency_wallet
https://blockgeeks.com/guides/cryptocurrency-wallet-guide/
https://www.finder.com/cryptocurrency/wallets
https://hackernoon.com/an-introduction-to-cryptocurrency-wallets-288629d879a4

April 16, 2018

An algorithm in cryptocurrency - how does it work?



There are a lot of algorithm types and uses to it, starting from computer science to math science. It can be anywhere. In nowadays we know that IT uses a lot of algorithms. For example, search engine algorithm - it takes user input keywords, then searches associated database for relevant web pages, and returns results.


At first, you need to know what is encryption and what is decryption to better understand the algorithm so you don't get lost in this article:
Encryption - the process of encoding a message (information) in such a way that only authorized parties can access it. In encryption, the message is encrypted using encryption algorithm and can be read only if decrypted.
Decryption - the reverse process of converting encoded data to its original un-encoded form, plaintext.


For example:
Decrypted text:
H6Itvx0PiWm3QqSRyo/OC6KeYKYCnMUNZi9O070B4k0=
Encrypted text:
this was decrypted text
You can try by yourself: http://www.online-toolz.com/tools/text-encryption-decryption.php


So what is an algorithm?

In computer science, an algorithm is an unambiguous specification of how to solve a class of problems. It is a formula that is solving a problem, based on conducting a sequence of specified actions. It can perform the calculation, data processing, and automated reasoning tasks.

Let's take an example from life:
Let's suppose that you need to get to your friend's house but there is the problem because you don't know how to get there, and that's why there are few algorithms to solve the problem, so you can get to your friend's house:

Number one - call your friend to ask for directions algorithm
1) Call your friend;
2) Ask how to get to his house;
3) Go to your friend's house.

Number two - taxi algorithm
1) call your friend;
2) get his address;
3) call a taxi and go to the given address;

Number three - wait for your friend algorithm
1) Get to the meeting place where you will meet;
2) Wait for your friend;
3) Go to your friend's house with him.

Which one of those three would you choose?
It is the best to choose the fastest one because you won't waste your time right?

Algorithm in cryptography



In cryptography, an algorithm is divided into three groups which are:
Symmetric algorithms (Also known as Secret Key Cryptography or SKC)- it uses the same cryptographic keys for both encryptions of plaintext and decryption of ciphertext. by holding the key, you can exchange messages with anybody else holding the same key.
Here are some of the most popular symmetric algorithms:
Blowfish - symmetric block cipher that can be used as a drop-in replacement for DES or IDEA.
DES (Full name The Data Encryption Standard) - an algorithm for the encryption of electronic data.
3DES (Triple DES) - block cipher, which applies the DES cipher algorithm three times to each data block.
AES (Full name is "The Advanced Encryption Standard") - a symmetric block cipher chosen by the U.S. government to protect classified information and is implemented in software and hardware throughout the world to encrypt sensitive data.

Asymmetric algorithms (also known as Public Key Cryptography or ) - uses public and private keys to encrypt and decrypt data.
Here are 3 of asymmetric algorithms:
Diffie-Hellman - method of securely exchanging cryptographic keys over a public channel.
RSA - used for secure data transmission, based on the practical difficulty of the factorization of the product of two large prime numbers, the "factoring problem".
Elliptic Curve - an approach to public-key cryptography based on the algebraic structure of elliptic curves over finite fields.

Hash functions - any function that can be used to map data of arbitrary size to data of fixed size.
Some of the hash functions include:
MD5 - message authentication protocol to verify the content of the message.
SHA 1 - it takes an input and produces a 160-bit hash value known as a message digest.
The SHA 2 family (SHA-128, SHA-192, and SHA-256) - A family of two similar hash functions, with different block sizes, known as SHA-256 and SHA-512. They differ in the word size; SHA-256 uses 32-bit words where SHA-512 uses 64-bit words. There are also truncated versions of each standard, known as SHA-224, SHA-384, SHA-512/224, and SHA-512/256. These were also designed by the NSA.
The SHA 3 family - A hash function formerly called Keccak, chosen in 2012 after a public competition among non-NSA designers. It supports the same hash lengths as SHA-2, and its internal structure differs significantly from the rest of the SHA family.

How do algorithms affect cryptocurrency?

In cryptocurrency algorithm means - set of heuristics and calculations that create a model from data.
So it is a procedure that solves a problem, and in cryptocurrency mining, the problem is- validating transactions-,
and with an algorithm, the mining is done.

What algorithm does in cryptocurrency:
  • Verify the integrity of data (method for talking large amounts of data and systematically representing it as a short number that is difficult to replicate);
  • maintain the structure of blockchain data (It holds people's account balances);
  • encode people’s account addresses and as part of the process of encoding transactions between accounts;
  • generate math puzzles that make “block mining” possible;
  • makes heavy use of block ciphers, (a technology that was originally used for traditional cryptography).

Sources:
https://www.globalsign.com/en/blog/glossary-of-cryptographic-algorithms/
http://cryptofundamentals.com/algorithms
https://blog.storagecraft.com/5-common-encryption-algorithms/
https://www.brighthub.com/computing/enterprise-security/articles/65254.aspx
https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/algorithm
https://www.schneier.com/academic/blowfish/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Encryption_Standard
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_DES
https://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/Advanced-Encryption-Standard
https://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/asymmetric-cryptography
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSA_(cryptosystem)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SHA-1
https://www.manomayasoft.com/blog/item/163-encryption-and-decryption-algorithm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algorithm

April 5, 2018

Cryptocurrency mining - is it worth it?

Digital money is not anything like the regular money we use every day and over the past few years It gained popularity very fast and becomes more and more popular every day. More and more people start buying and selling digital money. It has a lot of opportunities that can be done by anyone, one of them is mining, for example, the most popular - bitcoin mining.

The question is - what is mining?

Digital Money mining is a validation of transactions and for that miners get digital money as a reward. These rewards decrease transaction fees. To speed up the rate of generating hashes - a complex mathematical formula puzzle that helps not only verify transactions but also create new currency -, which validates all transactions, it uses specialized machines which are used by miners. These machines are doing the work that we all know as mining. So easy explanation would be: miners are using specialized machines to mine (validate transactions) and getting rewarded with digital money.

To better understand how mining works you need to understand what is blockchain and how does it work. You can read in our previous blog article about "Blockchain explained - why you should care".
Blockchain - a continuously growing list of records, called blocks, which are linked and secured using cryptography. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, a timestamp and transaction data.

The information for all cryptocurrencies transactions is embedded in data blocks. Each block is linked with other blocks, creating a blockchain. These transitions need to be analyzed as fast as possible to be verified, but digital currency doesn't have this much processing power to do it alone, so there is when cryptocurrency miners come in.

How does mining work?

  1.  Miner provides his computer;
  2.  Mining hits upon the right hash;
  3.  Miners submit their solution to the currency issuer;
  4.  Hash verification;
  5.  Miners get their reward;
  6.  Repeat everything.
At first, there is a miner who invests his time and computer space that runs essentially 24/7 and it does a process that is called "verifying transactions".
To create a block it has to be accompanied by a cryptographic hash that fulfills certain requirements, so with help of miners computer, network solves mathematical intensive computations regularly to find the blocks using specific data mining algorithm - set of heuristics and calculations that create a model from data-, for example - Naive Bayes, until it hits upon the right hash. Then miner submits his solution to the currency issuer and after hash verification, miner gets his reward of given number of coins. "Verifying transactions" process repeats on and on. This system is called  “proof of work” and you can guess what does it mean - you do the work and you get paid for it. Bitcoin, Litecoin, and most other digital currencies use "Proof of work" system.

There is one more mining system called “proof of stake.”.
The goal of this system is the same but the process to reach it is quite different. It means that investors earn through mining - in addition to the "proof of work" income - an amount that's proportional to the amount the miner has invested in the currency. All Proof of stake miners are always those who own the coins minted.

A lot of cryptocurrencies have a limited amount of units that can be mined, for example, there are only 21 million Bitcoins. If That limit is exhausted, miners can't be rewarded by "verifying transactions" anymore.
Mining is like competition. Who has the best computer - wins. Who has the best computer - gets more cryptocurrency.

What do you need to start mining, few suggestions?

At the beginning of cryptocurrency, it was possible to mine with your home PC, well it is possible in nowadays too, but you will not gain any profit by doing that because you will pay twice as much for the electricity. As mentioned before "more and more people start mining", so the hardware necessary to mine effectively increases. Many new miners forgot about electricity consumption when they are buying mining machines video cards and other hardware for mining digital money. There are two ways to start mining - either you buy ready-made mining machine or make one by yourself, that is your choice. If you want to buy one, you have to be careful with power consumption and take whats profitable.

So if you choose to build a mining machine by yourself you will need:
Private database for coin wallet. Coin wallet stores your earnings and keeps a network-wide ledger of transactions.
A free mining software package.
A membership in an online mining pool. It is a community of miners who are combining their computers to increase profitability.
Membership in an online currency exchange. There you can exchange digital money for cash.
Safe full-time internet connection.
A place to set up hardware. That place should be cool or air-conditioned space.
Computer designed for mining.
ATI Graphics Processing Unit (GPU, Graphics card) or a specialized processing device called a mining ASIC chip. Choose the one that's powerful and saving electric power.
A lot of learning, because there are a lot of technology changes and you have to follow them to grow with those changes. Successful miners spend hours by learning new things to improve themselves in this industry.

It is possible to gain money with digital money mining, however, the process can often be time-consuming. It is up to you, how much effort do you want to put in this.

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptocurrency
https://www.coinpursuit.com/articles/what-is-digital-currency-mining.137/
http://www.itpro.co.uk/digital-currency/30249/what-is-cryptocurrency-mining
https://www.benzinga.com/general/education/17/08/9953629/cryptocurrency-mining-what-it-is-how-it-works-and-whos-making-money-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockchain