Proof-of-Work
Document the mining algorithm, difficulty target and chain-selection rules used by each network.
Protocol auditDifficulty Adjustment
Compare the documented adjustment mechanism and observe how each network responds to changes in block production.
Protocol + live testChain Reorganizations
Record observed reorganizations and analyze confirmation risk under a defined observation period.
Live measurementMining Concentration
Measure miner or pool concentration and disclose the time window and data source used.
Network dataDouble-Spend Model
Study the assumptions behind confirmation security and the economic conditions relevant to an attack.
Research modelNode Verification
Evaluate how independently operated nodes validate blocks and transactions and how quickly invalid data is rejected.
Implementation auditSecurity Baseline
The VTA paper contains historical descriptions of its PoW and difficulty rules. These are starting points for the audit, not a current security rating.
Security Test Procedure
Freeze the Rules
Record exact protocol and source-code versions used in the study.
Collect Network Data
Capture blocks, timestamps, difficulty, hashpower indicators and pool distribution.
Analyze Events
Identify delays, forks and reorganizations and avoid interpreting isolated events without context.
Model Risk
State assumptions explicitly when estimating attack cost or confirmation security.
Cross-check
Compare independent sources and repeat measurements where practical.
Publish
Show data, calculations, methodology and limitations instead of a simple winner label.