Mechanical blockchain.

grabcad

What types of challenges do you want to see more of in the future? A majority of individuals are familiar with cryptocurrency, particularly Bitcoin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitcoin). However, fewer people understand the concept behind blockchain, a fundamental component of any cryptocurrency (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockchain_(database)). Given the increasing significance of cryptocurrencies, it's essential to enhance understanding of their inner workings. To this end, I propose a challenge for the GrabCAD community: designing a mechanical representation of blockchain. In essence, each unit is like a drawer containing any number and shape of objects (blocks and transactions). The box has inlet and outlet locks based on the hash of the previous block and the current block. If these locks coincide, they lock securely. Each lock can only be used once and cannot be reopened. The first box is fixed to a wall, with its output crossbars locked randomly. The number of crossbars on the locks can fluctuate (difficulty). Inside the box, you can add or remove a limited number of items (nonce). I believe this challenge is intriguing because it involves working with statistical mechanical systems that evolve, such as those driven by genetic algorithms and neural networks (e.g., controlling swarms of drones). Please share your thoughts and feedback!