This is a problem that can be fixed with a hard fork. Indeed, IIRC Knotzcoin has in fact shipped a block withholding fix.

petertodd

Block withholding attacks can be prevented by simply not using FPPS.

Filiprogrammer

Man...

Game theory is truly the dismal science.

SimpleStacker

Here's an interesting explanation of this I heard from someone at TabConf:

The small pools are using Antpool templates because of block withholding attacks.

Here is how it could work: antpool can point a lot of hash at brains but withhold any blocks they actually find. Because brains is fpps, they pay for all this hash, but it looks like they have just gotten extremely unlucky.

Then, antpool offers them insurance (or to cover their payouts during unlucky spells) but as soon as brains starts using antpool templates their unluckiness goes away.

bitcoin_Mining

Is Braains Pool Independent?

siggy47

Here's an interesting explanation of this I heard from someone at TabConf:

The small pools are using Antpool templates because of block withholding attacks.

Here is how it could work: antpool can point a lot of hash at brains but withhold any blocks they actually find. Because brains is fpps, they pay for all this hash, but it looks like they have just gotten extremely unlucky.

Then, antpool offers them insurance (or to cover their payouts during unlucky spells) but as soon as brains starts using antpool templates their unluckiness goes away.

This is something that [Steve Barbour described quite some time ago](https://web.archive.org/web/20250326034605/https://upstreamdata.com/the-fragility-of-financialized-bitcoin-mining-pools/)

![](https://m.stacker.news/161541)

![](https://m.stacker.news/161542)