The Nonce Lottery

About this app

Proof of work with real SHA-256 in the browser: starting at nonce 0, a block of transactions searches for the number that makes its hash start with 1 to 5 zeros. The hash field flickers; counters set the tries against the expected 16^k, and the browser time against a laptop doing one million hashes/s. A chart shows that one more zero costs sixteen times as many tries and that each single case is a lottery. Verifying costs one hash. In chain mode, tampering with block 1 breaks the arrow to block 2.

Subject: Cryptography

More from Cryptography

• Hashing & collisions
• Pseudorandomness — how a computer rolls dice
• SHA-256 in slow motion (8-bit model)
• Cracking a Substitution Cipher
• Encrypt and Sign with Two Keys

A VisuApp by heyprof: interactive, free in your browser, no sign-up. What is a VisuApp? · All apps