Lab
SimulatedHash Hunt
A hands-on feel for Proof-of-Work. Find an input whose SHA-256 hash starts with N zeros. Each extra zero multiplies the work — that’s why real mining uses so much electricity.
How this maps to real mining
Bitcoin miners hash a block header over and over, changing a nonce, until the hash is below a target. More leading zeros required = harder. Difficulty adjusts so blocks take ~10 minutes on average.
To complete this lab, find a valid hash at difficulty 2 or higher.