The Ethereum network has updated its DAG size to over 4GB, meaning miners with GPUs of 4GB or less will no longer be profitable on this network.
Ethereum (ETH), the second network and cryptocurrency most important in the crypto industry, has a DAG (directed acyclic graph) which already exceeds 4 GB of storage memory capacity, putting at risk the profitability of miners who work with cards or equipment GPU 4 GB or less. To avoid these risks, miners must upgrade and increase their storage capacity above 4 GB; otherwise, their work on the Ethereum network will not generate any profitability or profit.
The DAG is a type of graph that allows data to be organized within a network in a simple and efficient way, using a series of vertices that connect to others in a unique and linear way, always in the same direction. The Ethereum network uses DAG to base its proof-of-work algorithm (proof of work, PoW) Dagger-Hashimoto, as explained Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum. This is updated, and increased by 8 MB, every 30.000 blocks mined on the network. Thus, at the block height 11.520.000, mined on December 25, Ethereum DAG grew to 4 GB, as a sample Minerstat, making GPU computers with a storage memory capacity less than this value obsolete.
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Not all is lost yet
In light of the Ethereum upgrade, one of the largest mining pools in the industry, F2Pool, he pointed that one of the alternatives that ETH network miners have to continue their activity is to use mining software Bminer v16.4, lolMiner o Team red miner, which can help them continue mining with some profitability.
Another option that F2Pool presents for these miners is to modify their equipment with a reliable supplier, to expand their memory capacity, and continue to mine ETH profitably. Finally, the mining pool points out that another viable option for miners with 4 GB equipment is to change to other blockchain networks that support mining with their equipment. Among the suggestions are: beam (BEAM), Ravecoin (RVN), Super Zero Protocol (SERO) y Ethereum Classic (ETC).
Another hope for Ethereum Classic
At the beginning of December, Ethereum Classic developers announced the activation of the update Thanos, which allowed the network to restore mining with GPU equipment between 3 GB and 4 GB. Ethereum Classic, which was the victim of multiple and consecutive 51% attacks Between August and September, ETC saw its reputation severely affected by these attacks, and much was said about its possible end. However, the network's developers did not stop the fight and have been working on new developments and updates that will allow ETC to re-emerge, including Thanos.
With this update, ETC seeks to encourage the participation of many more miners in the network, to strengthen its computing power, and therefore, its security. Thus, many miners on the ETH network may migrate to ETC, such as the alternatives mentioned by F2Pool so that their equipment remains profitable. Both Ethereum and Ethereum Classic are currently facing decisive moments, ETH is migrating its network to ETH 2.0, which will eliminate mining progressively and definitively; while ETC is promoting a security program, which includes increasing the computing power of the network, to strengthen its security after the attacks suffered.
Continue reading: It's official! Ethereum 2.0 began with the generation of the Genesis block on the Beacon Chain
