<p>I'm not sure of the best place to ask this so I'll ask it here. I had read that as far as computing power, the Bitcoin nodes represent the largest distributed super computer in the world in finding the SHA-256 hashes. Now it seemed to me such a waste and would be nice if there was a way to embed some risc instruction set into it so that it was a programable computer. </p>

<p>But then I thought that we don't know who created bitcoin and perhaps it is an NSA super computer or MIT experiment?</p>

<p>Then I even wondered if anyone could perhaps use its power somehow, perhaps with the signaling of transactions, specific addresses and private keys? </p>

<p>Any thoughts on this, soft question if anyone takes it seriously which I doubt?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-15T15:43:34.307Z
This question doesn't really make sense to me in light of the actual mining process's mechanisms. Please read the linked questions and feel free to edit this question here accordingly if I misunderstood what you were asking about.
Murch
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-15T21:54:37.697Z
I think my question while a duplicate, specifies the problem a little more, how can we embed a risc into it or perhaps use existing sha and maybe get useful instruction set from it?
marshal craft
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-16T14:52:20.620Z
The proof-of-work algorithm cannot have another useful purpose, or it will be less useful as a proof-of-work mechanism. So, the answer is the same as in the first question that I linked: regardless of what the improvement is that you seek, it is detrimental to the main function of the algorithm.
Murch
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-16T22:37:37.137Z
Well if the proof of work is completion of a program, anyone who is willing to complete the program is doing proof of work.
marshal craft
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-16T22:44:28.040Z
One of the requirements for a proof of work algorithm is that it doesn't have progress. Completion of a program has progress. A second is that the difficulty must be predetermined. Different steps in completing a program have different complexity. I'm pretty sure this is all mentioned in the linked question.
Murch
<sha256>
btc mining, the largest supercomuter in existence?
marshal craft
# btc mining, the largest supercomuter in existence?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-08-15)

I'm not sure of the best place to ask this so I'll ask it here. I had read that as far as computing power, the Bitcoin nodes represent the largest distributed super computer in the world in finding the SHA-256 hashes. Now it seemed to me such a waste and would be nice if there was a way to embed some risc instruction set into it so that it was a programable computer.

But then I thought that we don't know who created bitcoin and perhaps it is an NSA super computer or MIT experiment?

Then I even wondered if anyone could perhaps use its power somehow, perhaps with the signaling of transactions, specific addresses and private keys?

Any thoughts on this, soft question if anyone takes it seriously which I doubt?

**Tags:** sha256

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This question doesn't really make sense to me in light of the actual mining process's mechanisms. Please read the linked questions and feel free to edit this question here accordingly if I misunderstood what you were asking about.  
> **username_0**: I think my question while a duplicate, specifies the problem a little more, how can we embed a risc into it or perhaps use existing sha and maybe get useful instruction set from it?  
> **username_1**: The proof-of-work algorithm cannot have another useful purpose, or it will be less useful as a proof-of-work mechanism. So, the answer is the same as in the first question that I linked: regardless of what the improvement is that you seek, it is detrimental to the main function of the algorithm.  
> **username_0**: Well if the proof of work is completion of a program, anyone who is willing to complete the program is doing proof of work.  
> **username_1**: One of the requirements for a proof of work algorithm is that it doesn't have progress. Completion of a program has progress. A second is that the difficulty must be predetermined. Different steps in completing a program have different complexity. I'm pretty sure this is all mentioned in the linked question.  

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