7月18日是Andrew的14岁生日，这篇博客就算是爸爸送给Andrew 的生日礼物。
(July 18 is Andrew's birthday. This blog is his birthday gift from me as his dad.)
2011年6月初，离Andrew 的14岁生日还有一个多月，小Andrew就问：“爸爸，我生日会得到什么礼物哇？”
(Early June 2011, a month before his birthday, little Andrew asked me: “Dad, what kind of birthday I will get this year?”)
“你不是想要Apple的iMac吗？”
(“I thought you want an Apply iMac?”)
“爸爸，是哪一种哇？$1200, 还是$1500?”
(“Which one, $1200 or $1500?”)
“How about between $1200 and $1500?”
第二天，小Andrew又问，“爸爸，可不可以不买iMac，而是给我钱?” 我马上就意识到小Andrew又有新的project了。
(The next day, little Andrew asked me again: “Dad, can I ask something else?” I realized that Andrew had some new project.)
“是什么project需要这么多钱？”
(“What cost so much money?” I asked.)
“Bitcoin” 小Andrew回答道。
(“Bitcoin.” Andrew answered.)
这是我第一次听到Bitcoin这个词。
(This is the first time I heard “Bitcoin”.)
6月6号，我收到小Andrew写的依妹儿：
(On June 6th, I received an email from Andrew:)
“I would like to invest in a Bitcoin mining system for $600. Here are some resources to help you better understand what a Bitcoin is:
Bitcoin is a digital currency created in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto. The name also refers both to the open source software he designed to make use of the currency and to the peer-to-peer network formed by running that software.
Unlike other digital currencies, Bitcoin avoids central authorities and issuers. Bitcoin uses a distributed database spread across nodes of a peer-to-peer network to journal transactions, and uses digital signatures and proof-of-work to provide basic security functions, such as ensuring that bitcoins can be spent only once per owner and only by the person who owns them. - Wikipedia
How much is a Bitcoin worth?
At the current predictable market, the Bitcoin is currently sitting around $17 - $18. Just over a 10 months ago. They were worth less than a dollar.
How much can we make?
The system I am going to build has a total of 3 graphics cards. Each graphics card is able to be overclocked to be able to generate ~300 million hashes / second. With 3 of them, you'll be looking around at 1 billion hashes / second. At the current difficulty, you'll be able to generate 1.77 Bitcoins a day, worth $33.31. I'll be able to break even at 22 days.
Thanks, now you can understand why I am so interested in this. If it shall be, make it my early Birthday present to buy 2 of these systems at $600 each (no iMac).
If the market shall crash while I have the hardware. I'll return it to Newegg for a simple money back (even for opened items) within 30 days.”
我从来没有收到过小Andrew写的这么长的依妹儿，他原来的邮件基本上就是一两句话。看完儿子这么长的项目计划书，我很是激动，赶紧给他妈妈forward过去。当天吃晚饭时，又和小Andrew面对面交谈，最后把信用卡给了他。当晚小Andrew就忙着order，没想到晚上11点向爸爸汇报，原来看到的GPU已卖完，另一个网站的价钱要贵一些，总投资涨到$800。看到小Andrew那激动的样子，我说了一句：”买“。
(I never received such a long email from little Andrew. The emails I got from him in the past were normally simple, with only one or two sentences. After reading Andrew’s project plan, I was so excited. I forwarded his email to his mom immediately. During dinner time, I had some discussions with him. And then I gave my credit card to him. Little Andrew was busy that night with ordering equipment. He told me at 11:00 that the equipment was sold out. But it’s available on another website with higher price ($800). Looked at his exciting face, I said one word: “Deal”.)
这一套hardware包括：AMD CPU一个，msi 890FXA-GD70 Motherboard一个, RADEON HD 5830 GPU4个,Corsair TX850 power supply 一个。
(One set of equipment includes: 1 AMD CPU, 1 msi 890FXA-GD70 motherboard, 4 RADEON HD 5830 GPU, and 1 Corsair TX850 power supply.)
6月10日，UPS送来了package：AMD CPU2个，msi 890FXA-GD0 Motherboard 2个, RADEON HD 5830 GPU10个, Corsair TX850 power supply 2个，这些可以装配成2套。
(On June 10th, UPS delivered the package, which contains 2 sets.)
Andrew当然是轻车熟路，很快就把两套设备装好了。当天晚上8点就开始运转了。每个GPU都overclocked, 每秒钟hash速度达到3 million, 4个GPU就到1.2 billion / second。一天下来能收获大约3个BitCoin,按照当时$17-18美元的比价，小Andrew可以一天赚到$55美元。
(Andrew of course quickly put the two sets installed. The operation began at 20:00. Each GPU overclocked and can generate 3 million hashes per second. With 4 GPU, the hash rate can hit 1.2 billion per second. With this rate, Andrew can harvest 3 Bitcoins each day. Based on the $17-$18 conversion rate, Andrew can make $55 a day.)
没想到设备运转几天，问题就来了。这些GPU都是overclocked，不仅吵得很，而且产生热量。家里大大小小的电扇都用上了，还是热得很。小Andrew从网上买了cable，把GPU分开放，有点效果，但还是不理想。最后当爸爸的作出牺牲，把一套移到我的书房。从此我的书房变成了机房，整天嗡嗡的。
(But issues began to show up after a fewer days. These GPU are overclocked. They not only make a lot of noises, but also generate a lot of heats. To solve the problem, Andrew bought some longer cables, which allow GPU to be more separated. It helped a little, but still not ideal. Finally I sacrificed. I asked Andrew to move one set to my study room. From that day on, my study room had become a hot computer lab, full of buzzing sounds.)
BitCoin 到底是什么？
(What is really Bitcoin?)
尽管小Andrew对BitCoin作了多次解释，我还是半懂不懂。至到几天前小Andrew给我看了一篇中文关于BitCoin的文章，这扇神秘的大门才打开。(Although Andrew explained to me several times about Bitcoin, I still didn’t quite understand it. Until several days ago, Andrew showed me an article about Bitcoin, the door to the mystic world was finally opened.)
BitCoin，中文翻成比特币，是一种前所未有的没有政府控制的网络货币。有人盛赞它是货币的未来，具有潜在的革命性, 也有人担心这是一场骗局。
(Bitcoin is an unprecedented network currency without any government control. Some praised it’s the currency for the future and has the potential revolutionary. Others worried that this is a hoax.)
2009年2月11日，一个叫中本聪（Satoshi Nakamoto)的人，在网上发帖(http://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf )，宣称他发明了一个叫BitCoin的open source的P2P （peer-to-peer) 电子货币，与大多数货币不同的是，比特币不依赖于特定的中央发行机构，而是使用遍布整个P2P网络节点的分布式数据库来记录货币的交易，并使用密码学的设计来确保货币流通各个环节安全性
(February 11, 2009, a man named Satoshi Nakamoto posted on the Internet (www.bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf), claiming that he invented the Bitcoin, which was open source P2P (peer-to-peer) electronic money. Different from most other currencies, Bitcoin doesn’t reply on the specific central issuers. It uses a distributed database to record monetary transactions through the P2P network node.)
真正让BitCoin出名的，还是一个叫作丝绸之路（silkroad.com)的秘密购物网站。Silkroad.com提供各种药品，包括毒品。但上这个网站很复杂，一般的browser不能找到它，你必须安装一个叫做TOR的匿名网络工具才行。丝绸之路只接受BitCoin，因为它是匿名支付，别人无法追踪。
(What made Bitcoin famous is a secret shopping website called Silk Road (www.silkroad.com). Silkroad.com provides a variety of drugs. But it’s very complicated to access to this website through regular browsers. You must install a tool call TOR anonymous network. This website only accepts Bitcoin, because it is anonymous payment and nobody can trace it.)
当然，BitCoin现在在网络的用途越来越广泛，越来越多的网站开始接受BitCoin。
(Of course, Bitcoins has been become more and more popular on Internet. More and more websites start to accept Bitcoin.)
2011年6月13日，alinvain称自己的2.5万个BitCoin被盗，按照当时的比价，损失为half million美元。6月20日，BitCoin最大交易网站MtGox.com遭到黑客袭击，BitCoin与美元的比价从$18美元降到0.01美元。这两起事件让BitCoin在网络世界轰动一时。
(June 13, 2011, alinvain claimed that 25000 Bitcoin got stolen. According to the conversion rate at that time, the loss is about half million. June 20, MtBox.com, the biggest Bitcoin website got hacked and the conversion rate dropped from $18 to $0.01. Both events made Bitcoin top news on Internet.)
Bitcoin挖矿
Bitcoin Mining
任何人都可以下载并运行BitCoin软件而参与制作BitCoin。这种方式被称为挖矿（BitCoin Mining). 根据BitCoin的算法，比特币的总量为21 million. 直到2011年7月仍只有670万枚比特币存在，剩余的未被挖掘的比特币仅存1430万枚。每当1个区块（block）的数学问题计算之后，所参与的挖矿人（BitCoin Miner) 可拿到50 BitCoin的奖励。小Andrew就是一个小矿工。
(Anyone can download and run Bitcoin software involved in the production of Bitcoin, which is called Bitcoin Mining. Based on Bitcoin algorithm, there is only totally 21 million. By July 2011 only 6.7 million Bitcoin has been mined and there is still 14.3 million to be mined. Whenever a block of math problem is solved, all participation of mining, Bitcoin miners, will get a reward of 50 Bitcoin. Little Andrew is one of them.)
有意思的是，CPU不是理想的的挖矿工具。目前的BitCoin Mining的难度系数为567385，如果你的CPU可以执行的每秒400万的Hash，你可能需要19年解决一个区块（block）。GPU支持parallel processing, 其中涉及利用图形处理单元的计算能力,这就为什么GPU成为理想的挖矿工具，而用的最多的就是Andrew买的Radeon HD 5830.
(Interestingly, the CPU is not the ideal mining tool. The current Bitcoin mining difficult factor is 567385. If your CPU can execute 4 million hashes per second, it will take you 19 years to solve a block. GPU supports parallel processing, which makes the GPU an ideal mining tool. The most popular equipment is RADEON HD 5830.)
另一个有意思的话题是电费。GPU虽然运算快，但是一只耗电魔兽。如果你用GeForce GTX590挖矿，假如你生活在美国东北部或加州，第一年你将损失776美元。事实是没有任何GeForce卡能让你在第一年盈利。 就拿Radeon HD 5830来说，一年的电费差不多$169-325/year。美国的电费各州不一，假如你住在美国电费较贵的New York, Connecticut,或Alaska，你就要三思而行。假如你是住在Hawaii,那你就该忘记BitCoin Mining，还不如天天到海边surfing.
(Another interesting topic is the electricity bill. GPU is faster, but consumes too much electricity. If you use GeForce GTX590 and you live in the northeast or California, you will lose $776 for the first year. If you use RADEON HD5830, it probably costs you $169-325 a year. If you live in New York, Connecticut, or Alaska, you have to think twice. If you live in Hawaii, then you should forget Bitcoin mining. Instead you should go to beach and surf.)
BitCoin 也吸引了越来越多的国人的参与。这是一个中文的BitCoin 网站：http://www.bitecoin.com/
因BitCoin孕育而生的各种交易平台越来越多，你可以随时和几个大货币兑换，包括人民币。7月14日, BitCoin与人民币的比价是￥96.00. 这是一个中国交易平台, https://btcchina.com/.
小Andrew每天都向爸爸汇报当天的挖矿战绩,到7月8日，Andrew账上一共有了112 个BitCoin。按当天的汇率，值$1760.00,可以说成本拿回来了。账上有这么钱，小Andrew心里又痒痒了。
(By July 8th, he already earned 112 Bitcoin. Based on the conversion rate on that day, it’s worth $1760. With that money, Andrew had some new idea.)
“爸爸，我想把这110个BitCoin trade 2套hardware。”Andrew试探爸爸。
(“Dad, can I trade these 112 Bitcoin for 2 additional equipment?”)
13岁的小孩就懂得“扩大再生产”，难得，难得。我忙说，“行。”当天晚上，Andrew用110 个BitCoin与加拿大的一矿工trade 2套hardware，与Andrew现有的设置一样， 下星期寄到。
(Wow, a 13-year-old kid already knows how to expand production line. I quickly replied, “Good idea”. That evening, Andrew traded his 110 Bitcoins with another miner in Canada for 2 sets of hardware.)
这几天Andrew天天都提起他的新的挖矿工具，而他老爸我在天天等我的电费帐单，就希望到时候不要大吃一惊。
(During those days, Andrew kept talking about his 2 new GPU, while I was anxious to see my electricity bill. Hopefully I won’t have any big surprise when receiving it.)
BitCoin挖矿，固然好玩，而且来钱直接，但并不creative，是个人，都可以买来工具挖。我把这点看法告诉Andrew，没想到Andrew早有此感。他正在做一个与BitCoin有关的project，买GPU挖矿只不过是给他赚点钱，提供经济基础。
(Bitcoin mining of course is fun and it generates money directly. But it’s not very creative. Everyone can buy tools and dig it. I shared my comments with Andrew. Andrew already felt this way. He told me that he is working a bigger project based on Bitcoin.)
小Andrew，生日快乐。希望你的project早日成功。
(Happy birthday to you, little Andrew. Dad wishes you have a big success in your new project.)
为他高兴，生日快乐~·
