Gridcoin - a cryptocurrency designed to serve the good of humanity

I welcome you, dear users of Geektimes! In this post, we will discuss a wonderful idea implemented in the project and hiding under the name Gridcoin Research. The post is designed primarily for those who are interested in alternative ways of cryptocurrency development.



Among the users of Geektimes, there are probably people who are volunteers for voluntary distributed computing using the BOINC platform (open program platform of the California Institute of Berkeley). For those who are faced with this for the first time, I will explain: the point is that you are providing the unused capacity of your computer to help modern science.



Recently, given the increased public interest in science in general and in distributed computing in particular, the BOINC platform is still far from its likely potential. Now consider a means to increase this potential. You have probably heard about Bitcoin based on the Proof-of-Work algorithm (literal translation: proof of work) and how much computing power is involved in calculating hashrate, transaction confirmations, searching for numbers with special properties, etc. (recall that over the past six months, the bitcoin network capacity has doubled). Huge costs of electricity aimed at simply maintaining the network in working condition.



An alternative is the Gridcoin network, directing the power of its network to scientific research with its Proof-of-Research algorithm (literal translation: research proof), in conjunction with BOINC. The idea of ​​the project is as follows: for participating in projects such as SETI @ home (search for extraterrestrial civilizations), rosetta @ home (calculating the structure of the protein, in the future will help to cure some genetic diseases), World Community Grid (well-known IBM, the goal is to develop ways to treatment of cancer, ebola, zika virus and muscular dystrophy), as well as performing calculations for the hadron collider, searching for pulsars and gravitational waves, combinatorics, various projects from the field of mathematics, physics, biology, the network itself generates and distributes coins mong calculations participants. That is, the research organizers have no need to pay computation participants (unlike the GOLEM project, for example), but as a result: absolutely all participants, whether organizers or computer owners themselves, stay in the black, because everyone gets what they came for.



All that I have described is not a concept, but a de facto working project for the past four years. And while cryptocurrencies are experiencing a boom, scientists from around the world are experiencing deficiencies in computing power and fortunately, it is you who can help science in finding and developing means of treating cancer, malaria, various genetic diseases, or assist in calculating the trajectories of asteroids, the Hadron Collider, drawing up detailed maps of our galaxy. Everyone is useful, there are no restrictions for participation, here everyone can choose a project to their liking, and Gridcoin will reward you for your efforts!











Thanks for attention!