How to set up the opera browser. How to set up opera on a computer

 The process of installing the Opera browser on a Windows computer is quite simple, but for those who are used to learning how to do something first, and only then do it, in this article we will look at how to install the Opera browser on a computer. To do this, you need to download the official version of the Opera browser (how to do this is described in detail in → this article). Then double-click on the downloaded file with the left mouse button. This will start the process of installing Opera on your computer. Starting the installation process of Opera on your computer For security reasons, when installing new programs on a computer, you need to confirm that this is done in a sober mind and solid memory. Therefore, this window will appear first: Starting the installation process of Opera on your computer It asks: "Run this file?". If this is indeed an Opera installation file downloaded from the official site, as described by the link in the introduction to this article, t...

The history of the emergence of the PoW algorithm

The history of the emergence of the PoW algorithm

PoW is one of the oldest algorithms that was used in the creation of the very first Bitcoin cryptocurrency. The first description of the protocol appeared in 1993. As planned by the authors, he had to fight spam. And the algorithm performed this function. In 1997, Adam Back successfully launched the Hashcash project, which was based on the concept of PoW. Senders of letters, using the power of a PC, had to carry out billions of calculations that confirmed the truth of the subject of the letter. This solution blocked spam. From the technical side, it looks like hashing a selected range of data, for example, lines from a letter.

2 years after the launch of Hashcash, the term Proof-of-Work first appeared. During this period, the algorithm, like a mathematical captcha, solved several simple tasks that protected the system from spam and DDoS attacks. To perform operations, significant resources were not required, so the system worked smoothly.

In 2000, the developers decided to update the mechanism by introducing auxiliary functions into it. This required an increase in memory capacity and a revision of hardware requirements. The requirements of high processor speed have been replaced by large amounts of RAM. It was during this period that Bitcoin miners switched to powerful video cards.

The development of cryptocurrencies and the improvement of equipment have increased the load on the system and complicated the execution of tasks. The PoW algorithm literally began to "devour" electricity, which led to a decrease in rewards. Mining of popular cryptocurrencies became unprofitable. In 2012, the performance of the Bitcoin blockchain exceeded the energy consumption of the world's most powerful computer. After the advent of the PoS algorithm, Proof-of-Work began to fade into the background or be used in tandem. Today, the work done algorithm is used in projects that continue to issue tokens.