Microsoft Files Patent for New Cryptocurrency Mining Technology
By Marko Vidrih on The Capital
Crypto mining is one of the ways to get cryptocurrencies without having to buy them, and it seems that technology giant Microsoft has a new idea. The company has filed a patent application for an innovative system for mining cryptocurrencies.
One of the world’s leading technology companies, Microsoft, has filed a patent application with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that could revolutionize mining in a new way. According to the request, sensors could detect certain activities related to certain tasks. This could include the time spent looking at ads on the phone and turning them into information that can be read by computers and used to solve computing problems — just like the traditional proof-of-work system. The system could also prompt users to perform certain tasks to improve the process.
According to the document, the technology uses our brain waves and body temperature, which are needed to perform various online tasks. In its patent, Microsoft said that a user might be able to complete mining tasks without even knowing it. The patent further clarifies that the brain impulses or body reflexes required when a user performs a task on the web while using certain internet-based services can be used for mining cryptocurrencies.
Microsoft also pointed out that the method it proposed could reduce the amount of energy required for mining and speed up the process. The patent says that instead of solving difficult computer tasks on the existing mining system, data generated by activities of the body could serve as a proof of work. This means that the user solves the complex math associated with cryptocurrency mining without even knowing it. In the document that has now become public, Microsoft describes the following functionality:
“Human body activity associated with a task provided to a user may be used in a mining process of a cryptocurrency system. A server may provide a task to a device of a user which is communicatively coupled to the server. A sensor communicatively coupled to or comprised in the device of the user may sense body activity of the user. Body activity data may be generated based on the sensed body activity of the user. The cryptocurrency system communicatively coupled to the device of the user may verify if the body activity data satisfies one or more conditions set by the cryptocurrency system, and award cryptocurrency to the user whose body activity data is verified.”
Microsoft and cryptocurrency mining
Although the patent application has been filed, it is, of course, unclear whether Microsoft will push ahead with the development. As one of the leading providers in the field of conventional technology, Microsoft is also active to a certain extent in the field of cryptocurrencies. The tech giant is involved in Bakkt, the Bitcoin futures trading platform, and a subsidiary of the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). Most recently, Bakkt completed $300 million in Series B funding, and Microsoft M12 was one of the leading investors. In this respect, it remains interesting to see whether Microsoft will become more involved in this area, especially now that the corona virus also affects the tech giant.
Author: Marko Vidrih
Featured image credit: Pixabay
