Reading assignment: Hashing

Blockchain and Bitcoin 101
#3775
  1. What is the hashing algorithm called used in Bitcoin?

Secure hash algorithm (SHA-256)

  1. Why is this hashing algorithm really hard (almost impossible) to brute-force?

Because of the amount of possible imput that must be run through and the algorithm cannot be reversed

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#3776

  1. What is the hashing algorithm called used in Bitcoin?
    Secure Hash Algorithm, SHA-256

  2. Why is this hashing algorithm really hard (almost impossible) to brute-force?
    The algorithm is processed in a linear manner to get an output, they can not be reversed to calculate the initial data input

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#3777
  1. Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA-256)
  2. The algorithm is very hard because the miners need to solve increasingly difficult math equations to obtain a Hash. This Hash is unique and solved in a linear, unidirectional manner, meaning it cannot be reversed engineered. These math equations require High computational power and dedicated software to achieve a Hash output.
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#3778
  1. What is the hashing algorithm called used in Bitcoin?
    Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA-256)
  2. Why is this hashing algorithm really hard (almost impossible) to brute-force?
    The algorithm is really hard because the hash calculation is increasingly bigger and therefore increases the computacional capacity to a calculate the hash.
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#3779
  1. Bitcoin hashing algorithm is an universal translator for computers using any form of data with hash max 256 bit.
  2. Because it is encrypted and the miners to create the blockchain they must solve difficult math operations depends of the number of the miners. They can not use brute-force because what is in input will be in output , it is impossible to change that.
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#3780
  1. What is the hashing algorithm called used in Bitcoin?
    SHA-256 which is invented by the NSA.
  2. Why is this hashing algorithm really hard (almost impossible) to brute-force?
    The bitcoin hashing algorithm relies on linear one directional math equations which results of the irreversibility. They added an example which was about food ingredients and a food blender. First you have food elements which can be distinguished from each other, but going through the food blender we cannot distinguish the food ingredients from each other on the output.
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#3781
  1. What is the hashing algorithm called used in Bitcoin?
  • SHA-256
  1. Why is this hashing algorithm really hard (almost impossible) to brute-force?
  • There is no way to determine original input from the resulting output, and the only way to recreate an output is to give the function the EXACT same input, down to the whitespace.
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#3782

  1. What is the hashing algorithm called used in Bitcoin?
    SHA-256

  2. Why is this hashing algorithm really hard (almost impossible) to brute-force?

The number of possibilities of code is so great that it would require such an exorbitant amount of computational power, that it is not realistic or possible in our current state of technology.

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#3783
  1. What is the hashing algorithm called used in Bitcoin?

The hashing algorithm called used in Bitcoin is a code with a fixed number of characters that represents a digital print of one or a set of data with any size. This code is generated through some rules (hash function - SHA256).

  1. Why is this hashing algorithm really hard (almost impossible) to brute-force?

Because this hashing algorithm produces unique hashes and they cannot be reversed to calculate the initial raw data. The intricate mathematical equations do not allow the reversal of a new hash, it’s only solved in a linear, unidirectional manner.

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#3784

  1. What is the hashing algorithm called used in Bitcoin?
    the hash function is called SHA256.

  2. Why is this hashing algorithm really hard (almost impossible) to brute-force?
    The has function is nearly impossible to hack because you would need to guess the input that created the output.

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#3785
  1. The hashing algorithm in Bitcoin is called SHA-256 (Secure Hash Algorithm).
  2. Because of large number of possibilities (SHA - 256 is an unidirectional hashing function with 2 to the power of 256 possibilities. It is absolutely mathematically absolute impossible
    computate in the other direction)
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#3786
  1. Describe hash functions with your own words: Hash functions are functions that use cryptographic algorithms to convert any amount of data into predetermined sized outputs of data that are unique and cannot be used to determine what the original data was.
  2. How are hash functions used in cryptocurrencies like bitcoin? (Try to research this on your own, we will cover this later in the course but challenge yourself and see if you can find information on this already now). The bitcoin uses hash functions to verify the blocks as they are added to the blockchain
  3. What does it mean when we say that hash functions need to be collision resistant? (We didn’t use the term “collision resistant” in the lecture, but you will easily find this on Google, we add this question intentionally to make you research information on your own, that’s how you learn best). Collision resistance means that no two separate inputs should create the same cryptographic hashed output. When this happens its considered a collision.
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#3787

What is the hashing algorithm called used in Bitcoin?

  • Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA 256)

Why is the hashing algorithm really hard (almost impossible) to brute-force?
It is very difficult to brute-force because it can only be calculated in a unidirectional way. It is almost impossible to compute it the other way (from output to input)

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#3788
  1. The hashing algorithm that Bitcoin uses is called SHA 256
  2. Because it´s extremely hard to reverse the output of the hashing function to get back the input.
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#3789
  1. SHA-256
  2. Because the hash function is a one-way function that produces a unique 256 bit output for every input (if you change so much as one character in the input, the output will be completely different). thus there are 256^2 output possibilities. Practically, you would have to run the algorithm over and over again, each time trying to guess the input and comparing the output to the original one. With today’s computational power, this would probably take many years. One day however, it might become feasible, but by then more advanced hashing algorithms will probably have been developed that can be used.
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#3790
  1. SHA-256
  2. large computation input 2^256
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#3791
  1. What is the hashing algorithm called used in Bitcoin?
    SHA-256
  2. Why is this hashing algorithm really hard (almost impossible) to brute-force?
    The complete number of possibilities is so expansive that the chance of two people getting the same output in their lifetime is improbable.
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#3792
  1. What is the hashing algorithm called used in Bitcoin?
  • SHA-256
  1. Why is this hashing algorithm really hard (almost impossible) to brute-force?
    It’s a one-way transaction, not reversible.Also the chance of being compromised is impossible due to the difficulty of breaking the hashing algorithm.
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#3793

  1. sha 256

  2. the amount of possible solutions to match the original input exceeds computational power and time.

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#3794
  1. SHA-256
  2. Because the chance of guessing the input data used to create a hash is infinitesimally small. There are 2^256 possible combinations, or unique hashes. The input data to create a hash will create one of these unique hashes, 1 of the 2^256 unique hashes and the size and structure of the input data can be unlimited. So to reverse the hash, an attacker would have to guess the input data, and then create the hash to compare to see if they are right. It could take a very very long time. Reward to effort for breaking a hash is not worth it.
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