What is Blake2b Algorithm & Top Blake2b Coins to Mine

What is the Blake2b Algorithm?

Blake2b, a part of the Blake family, is a faster and more secure hash algorithm than the other previous algorithms, including MD5 and SHA. The motive behind the Blake2b algorithm is to address the issues faced by those earlier algorithms. For instance, Blake2b is resistant to various cryptographic attacks, unlike the other algorithms.

Blake2b is one of the algorithms based on Blake2, whereas the other one is Blake 2s. Blake 2b is fine-tuned for 64-bit platforms, and Blake 2s is optimized for 8 to 32-bit platforms.

Blake2b is an enhanced version of Blake, which is a step ahead of algorithms like MD5 and SHA in terms of the following points.

• Better Efficiency

Blake2b is faster and more efficient than most of the other cryptographic hash algorithms, making it ideal for various applications, including hash-based message authentication codes (HMAC).

• Enhanced Security

Blake2b is secure against most cryptographic attacks as it uses collision-resistance construction. Thus, it is ideal for building most financial applications.

• Open Source

The Blake2b algorithm is open source, meaning that anyone can leverage it. The design and implementation are publicly available to the cryptographic community.

• Customization

The Blake2b encourages customization, like hash size, keying, etc, for various applications and needs. Thus, it is ideal for different cryptocurrency projects like secure file hashing, digital signatures, security-sensitive applications, and more.

What are the Characteristics of the Blake2b Algorithm?

Here are some of the key characteristics of the Blake2b algorithm that set the algorithm apart from other hash algorithms.

1. Collision Resistance

Algorithms like MD5 and SHA series have shown vulnerabilities to collision attacks when two different inputs generate the same output. Since those algorithms can’t provide a unique hash for unique input, the security is compromised. However, Blake2b is explicitly designed for collision resistance and can resist threats, attacks and collisions effectively.

2. Security Strength

Blake2b is designed to prevent cryptographic attacks like collisions, preimage attacks, etc. Thus, the hash function provides the utmost security to your applications.

3. Highly Efficient

Blake2b is highly efficient and is optimized for modern mining hardware, specifically 64-bit platforms. Thus, it is suitable for various applications across several domains.

4. Parallelism

Blake2b is designed to leverage parallel processing. Thus, it is ideal for various devices like multi-core processors and SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data) instructions.

5. Ideal for Crypto Mining

Blake2b is a popularly used crypto mining algorithm, especially after the popularity of ASICs. ASIC miners are specialized mining hardware that can be precisely programmed for the mining algorithm of the intended cryptocurrency.

6. Highly Versatile

Blake2b is applicable to an extensive range of cryptographic tasks, like hashing, digital signatures, message authentication codes (MACs), etc.

7. Ease of Implementation

The Blake2b algorithm is known for its ease of implementation. It can easily implemented in various software and hardware environments.

8. Adherence to Industry Standards

Blake2b adheres to crypto industry standards and cryptographic practices and aligns with modern security norms.

9. Resistance to Potential Threats

Blake2b addresses the potential vulnerabilities that were common in older hash functions, including MD5 and SHA series.

All of the above-listed characteristics collectively make Blake2b a robust and diverse cryptographic hash algorithm suitable for various applications.

Blake2b Use Cases

Blake2b is a popular hashing function that can be used in various applications due to its flexibility, efficiency and security. Here are some of the most common use cases.

• Digital Signatures

Blake2b is predominantly used in digital signature algorithms, message authentication and other security applications like Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), cloud storage, secure communication protocols, intrusion detection, forensic suites, and control systems. It ensures data integrity and authentication in various applications.

• Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies

Blake2b is one of the most commonly used mining algorithms for various cryptocurrencies. Siacoin is the most popular cryptocurrency that follows the Blake2b algorithm. The algorithm ensures secure and efficient blockchain operations.

• Password Hashing

Blake2b is ideal for securely hashing passwords. The algorithm offers a robust defence mechanism against potential threats and attacks like brute force and rainbow table attacks.

• File and Data Deduplication

Blake2b generates unique hash values for files and data chunks. Thus, it helps users to identify and remove duplicate content while aiding storage space optimization.

• Software and Firmware Verification

Blake2b is often used to verify the integrity of software, firmware and updates. The algorithm ensures that the code is intact and not altered before installation.

• Digital Certificate Verification

The Blake2b plays a crucial role in verifying digital certificates. It enhances the security of SSL/TLS connections and many other cryptographic protocols.

• Biometric Data Security

Blake2b secures biometric data by generating unique hash values that verify the integrity and authenticity of stored biometric data.

Top Blake2b Coins to Mine

Blake2b is a hashing algorithm fine-tuned for 64-bit platforms that generates digests of any size between 1 and 64 bytes. Miners may suggest a few cryptocurrencies, like Verge (XVG) and Decred (DCR), that use Blake but a different variant of the Blake algorithm. One other coin that uses the Blake2b algorithm was Nano (NANO). However, Nano coin is non-mineable now as it has reached its maximum supply.

So, what cryptocurrencies can you mine using your Blake2b ASIC miner?

1. Siacoin (SC)
2. ScPrime (SCP)