Ethereum Classic (ETC) is planning to execute the Thanos difficult fork, an upgrade that would ensure several more years of mining functionality for graphics cards with iv gigabytes of RAM.

The upgrade, scheduled for block 11,700,000 — set to exist mined between Nov. 28 and November. 29 — will roll dorsum the epoch parameter for Ethereum Classic's mining algorithm, Ethash.

Ethash features a set of precomputed data used during the mining process, chosen DAG. The information set grows at a rate of about one gigabyte every 18 months, and is currently very shut to reaching 4 GB. This poses a trouble for many graphics cards and some ASICs used for Ethash mining, every bit these devices volition no longer be able to mine Ethereum Archetype.

This mechanism is an important component of Ethash's resistance to ASICs. Retentiveness is relatively expensive and the constant growth of the DAG would somewhen deprecate any ASIC and discourage heavy investment.

The Thanos hard fork aims to halve the size of the DAG, assuasive 4 GB devices to continue mining for another three years.

The purpose of the hard fork is largely to concenter more hash rate originating from Ethereum (ETH), which is also expected to completely throw 4 GB miners off before the end of 2020.

Due to the several successful instances of 51% attacks on ETC, the community is looking to heave its hash charge per unit and resistance to further manipulation attempts.

While another proposal seeks to change the mining algorithm entirely, it is generating controversy and may require more than time to be passed, if ever. The Thanos hard fork is thus presented every bit a brusk-term gear up to capture a significant portion of the total GPU hash charge per unit and secure the network.

According to statistics captured by Hive Os, about 24% of its users are nevertheless deploying 4 GB cards, and simply two% of all devices mine Ethereum Classic. Ethereum Archetype's hash rate is currently just in a higher place 1% of that of Ethereum, so even a small percent of Ethereum miners migrating to ETC would significantly boost its security.