What Is an ASIC-resistant Algorithm and How Does It Promote Decentralization?

An ASIC-resistant algorithm is a Proof-of-Work algorithm designed to be inefficient for Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), which are specialized, high-performance mining hardware. These algorithms are typically memory-intensive, requiring large amounts of RAM, which is expensive to implement in ASICs.

By resisting ASICs, the algorithm levels the playing field, allowing individuals to mine effectively with consumer-grade hardware like GPUs. This promotes decentralization by distributing the network's hashrate among a larger number of participants, making it harder for any single entity to accumulate the 51% majority required for an attack.

How Does the Choice of a Hashing Algorithm (E.g. Ethash Vs. SHA-256) Influence Centralization?
How Does Hardware Acceleration Affect ZKP Overhead?
What Is the Fundamental Difference in Architecture between a GPU and an ASIC That Makes the Latter More Efficient for Mining?
What Is an ASIC Miner?
How Does the Availability of Specialized Mining Hardware (ASICs) Affect the ‘Cost to Attack’ for a PoW Coin?
What Is the Difference between ASICs and GPUs in Mining?
How Does the Availability of Specialized Mining Hardware (ASICs) Influence Attack Cost?
Why Did Some Cryptocurrencies Intentionally Adopt Mining Algorithms Resistant to ASICs?

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