Analysis and comparison of proof of work distributed consensus algorithms and hash functions

Osrednji predmet diplomskega dela je predstaviti zgoščevalne funkcije in algoritme, ki se uporabljajo pri doseganju porazdeljenega soglasja dokaza o delu. Opisana je tehnologija veriženja blokov ter vpliv uporabe posameznih algoritmov na učinkovitost rudarjenja kriptovalut. Predstavljena je primerjava med določenimi izbranimi algoritmi glede na procesorsko moč, ki je potrebna za njihovo izvajanje, zahtevan spominski prostor, hitrost ter druge zahtevnosti, ki so pomembne za te algoritme. Diplomsko delo je omejeno na naslednje algoritme: X11, Cryptonight, Scrypt, SHA-256 in Ethash.The main subject of diploma is to present hash functions and algorithms which are used to achieve distributed consensus based on the proof of work. In the diploma we described the blockchain technology and the influence individual algorithms have on cryptocurrency mining efficiency . A comparison is presented between certain selected algorithms based on the processing power that is required for their implementation, the required memory space, security, speed and other complexities relevant to these algortihms. The diploma is limited to the following hashing algorithms: X11, Cryptonight, Scrypt, SHA-256 and Ethash