b-open-io Calculate Mining Difficulty
Calculate and analyze BSV mining difficulty from targets, bits, and network data.
When to Use
- Get current network difficulty from WhatsOnChain
- Convert between target and difficulty
- Decode compact bits representation
- Understand expected hash calculations for mining
Usage
# Get current network difficulty
bun run skills/calculate-mining-difficulty/scripts/difficulty.ts --current
# Calculate from compact bits (e.g., genesis block)
bun run skills/calculate-mining-difficulty/scripts/difficulty.ts --bits 0x1d00ffff
# Calculate from target hex (64 characters)
bun run skills/calculate-mining-difficulty/scripts/difficulty.ts --target 00000000ffff0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
# JSON output for scripting
bun run skills/calculate-mining-difficulty/scripts/difficulty.ts --bits 0x1d00ffff --json
# Show help
bun run skills/calculate-mining-difficulty/scripts/difficulty.ts --help
Output
Default output:
Mining Difficulty Analysis
==========================
Difficulty: 1
Target: 0x00000000ffff0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Bits: 0x1d00ffff
Expected hashes: 4.29e+9
JSON output (--json):
{
"difficulty": 1,
"target": "00000000ffff0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
"bits": "1d00ffff",
"expectedHashes": "4.29e+9"
}
Difficulty Math
The script uses the standard Bitcoin difficulty formula:
- Max target:
0x00000000FFFF0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000(difficulty 1) - Difficulty:
max_target / current_target - Compact bits format: First byte = exponent, next 3 bytes = mantissa
target = mantissa * 2^(8*(exponent-3))
- Expected hashes:
difficulty * 2^32
API Integration
Uses WhatsOnChain API for current network data:
- Chain info endpoint:
GET https://api.whatsonchain.com/v1/bsv/main/chain/info
Status
Complete - All functionality implemented and tested.