DMND And RootstockLabs Partner To Bring Stratum V2 To Merge-mining

DMND and RootstockLabs are rolling out a feature using Stratum V2 to support greater decentralization in Bitcoin mining. Miners at a pool can build their own block templates and also select and include merge-mined block commitments from the Rootstock (RSK) sidechain. Merge-mining lets multiple blockchains reuse the same proof-of-work by having the child chain include parent chain block header information in its block headers, with child-chain software validating parts of parent-chain blocks. Miners can mine multiple chains by including block header commitments in the coinbase transaction and then mining parent-chain blocks, which results in blocks for child chains as well. DMND integration allows miners to claim sidechain rewards in sBTC directly on the sidechain without revenue sharing or intermediary pool custody.

"The new feature uses Stratum V2 to enable miners at the pool engaging in their own block template construction to also handle the selection and inclusion of merge-mined block commitments from the Rootstock (RSK) sidechain as well."

"Merge-mining is a process by which multiple blockchains can share, or "reuse", the same POW from the same set of miners. One blockchain, the child chain, structures its block headers to include the headers of the parent chain, i.e. the hash of the child chain's block header is actually included inside a parent chain block (usually in the coinbase transaction), and software for the child chain is aware of this, actually validating part of the parent chain's blocks in the process of verifying the child chain's blocks."

"This allows miners of the parent chain to mine multiple blockchains at once by simply including blockheader commitments in their coinbase transaction, and then mining blocks for the parent blockchain. When one is found for the parent chain, one is found for all of the child chains as well."

""The miner controls the merge mining and the miner gets paid for the merge mining. More delegation of control to miners is our key support for further decentralisation of the Bitcoin ecosystem.""

Read at Bitcoin Magazine