Distributed Web Mining of Ethereum

We consider the problem of mining crytocurrencies by harnessing the inherent distribution capabilities of the World Wide Web. More specifically, we propose, analyze, and implement WebEth, a browser-based distributed miner of the Ethereum cryptocurrency. WebEth handles Proof-of-Work (PoW) calculations through individualized code that runs on the client browsers, and thereafter collates them at a web server to complete the mining operation. WebEth is based on a lazy evaluation technique designed to function within the expected limitations of the clients, including bounds on memory, computation and communication bandwidth to the server. We provide proofs-of-concept of WebEth based on JavaScript and WebAssembly implementations, with the latter reaching hash rates up to roughly 40 kiloHashes per second, which is only 30% slower than the corresponding native C++-based implementation. Finally, we explore several applications of WebEth, including monetization of web content, rate limitation to server access, and private Ethereum networks. Though several distributed web-based cryptominers have appeared in the wild (for other currencies), either in malware or in commercial trials, we believe that WebEth is the first open-source cryptominer of this type.