Bram Cohen
Chia Network

About the talk:

The reduced power requirements of proofs of space, which is one of its core features, opens it up to grinding attacks, in which an attacker tries many different possible histories at once and selects the most advantageous one. I'll explain how through extensive use of canonical primitives, the addition of verifiable delay functions, and careful hooking of everything together, it's possible to get grinding attacks under control.

Optional Readings

Blockchains and various kinds of cryptocurrencies are a hot topic these days. For those wanting to prepare for Bram Cohen's talk, the following links or references may be helpful. (Got a great link you think should be here? Send it to allison@stanford.edu. If I agree, I'll add it to the list.)

• The original Bitcoin paper, which introduced the blockchain.
• Bitcoin (Wikipedia) .
• Block Chains From a Distributed Computing Perspective (Herlihy, DRAFT)
• There Is Nothing Virtual About Bitcoin's Energy Appetite (NY Times)
• The Truth About Blockchain Harvard Business Review
• Stanford Online Course (Dan Boneh) on Bitcoin and Crypto Currencies

About the speaker:

Bram Cohen is the founder of Chia Network, building a new. greeneri, and more decentralized cryptocurrency. Previously he invented BitTorrent and founded BitTorrent Inc. Bram's Wikipedia Biography.

Contact information:

Bram Cohen
Chia Network