Allow minimum-difficulty blocks on testnet

src/chainparams.cpp

@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ class CMainParams : public CChainParams {
         consensus.nPowMaxAdjustDown = 32; // 32% adjustment down
         consensus.nPowMaxAdjustUp = 16; // 16% adjustment up
         consensus.nPowTargetSpacing = 2.5 * 60;
+        consensus.nPowAllowMinDifficultyBlocksAfterHeight = boost::none;
         consensus.vUpgrades[Consensus::BASE_SPROUT].nProtocolVersion = 170002;
         consensus.vUpgrades[Consensus::BASE_SPROUT].nActivationHeight =
             Consensus::NetworkUpgrade::ALWAYS_ACTIVE;
@@ -271,6 +272,7 @@ class CTestNetParams : public CChainParams {
         consensus.nPowMaxAdjustDown = 32; // 32% adjustment down
         consensus.nPowMaxAdjustUp = 16; // 16% adjustment up
         consensus.nPowTargetSpacing = 2.5 * 60;
+        consensus.nPowAllowMinDifficultyBlocksAfterHeight = 299187;
         consensus.vUpgrades[Consensus::BASE_SPROUT].nProtocolVersion = 170002;
         consensus.vUpgrades[Consensus::BASE_SPROUT].nActivationHeight =
             Consensus::NetworkUpgrade::ALWAYS_ACTIVE;
@@ -391,6 +393,7 @@ class CRegTestParams : public CChainParams {
         consensus.nPowMaxAdjustDown = 0; // Turn off adjustment down
         consensus.nPowMaxAdjustUp = 0; // Turn off adjustment up
         consensus.nPowTargetSpacing = 2.5 * 60;
+        consensus.nPowAllowMinDifficultyBlocksAfterHeight = 0;
         consensus.vUpgrades[Consensus::BASE_SPROUT].nProtocolVersion = 170002;
         consensus.vUpgrades[Consensus::BASE_SPROUT].nActivationHeight =
             Consensus::NetworkUpgrade::ALWAYS_ACTIVE;

src/consensus/params.h

@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 
 #include "uint256.h"
 
+#include <boost/optional.hpp>
+
 namespace Consensus {
 
 /**
@@ -91,6 +93,7 @@ struct Params {
     NetworkUpgrade vUpgrades[MAX_NETWORK_UPGRADES];
     /** Proof of work parameters */
     uint256 powLimit;
+    boost::optional<uint32_t> nPowAllowMinDifficultyBlocksAfterHeight;
     int64_t nPowAveragingWindow;
     int64_t nPowMaxAdjustDown;
     int64_t nPowMaxAdjustUp;

src/gtest/test_pow.cpp

@@ -68,3 +68,44 @@ TEST(PoW, DifficultyAveraging) {
                                         params),
               GetNextWorkRequired(&blocks[lastBlk], nullptr, params));
 }
+
+TEST(PoW, MinDifficultyRules) {
+    SelectParams(CBaseChainParams::TESTNET);
+    const Consensus::Params& params = Params().GetConsensus();
+    size_t lastBlk = 2*params.nPowAveragingWindow;
+    size_t firstBlk = lastBlk - params.nPowAveragingWindow;
+
+    // Start with blocks evenly-spaced and equal difficulty
+    std::vector<CBlockIndex> blocks(lastBlk+1);
+    for (int i = 0; i <= lastBlk; i++) {
+        blocks[i].pprev = i ? &blocks[i - 1] : nullptr;
+        blocks[i].nHeight = params.nPowAllowMinDifficultyBlocksAfterHeight.get() + i;
+        blocks[i].nTime = 1269211443 + i * params.nPowTargetSpacing;
+        blocks[i].nBits = 0x1e7fffff; /* target 0x007fffff000... */
+        blocks[i].nChainWork = i ? blocks[i - 1].nChainWork + GetBlockProof(blocks[i - 1]) : arith_uint256(0);
+    }
+
+    // Create a new block at the target spacing
+    CBlockHeader next;
+    next.nTime = blocks[lastBlk].nTime + params.nPowTargetSpacing;
+
+    // Result should be unchanged, modulo integer division precision loss
+    arith_uint256 bnRes;
+    bnRes.SetCompact(0x1e7fffff);
+    bnRes /= params.AveragingWindowTimespan();
+    bnRes *= params.AveragingWindowTimespan();
+    EXPECT_EQ(GetNextWorkRequired(&blocks[lastBlk], &next, params), bnRes.GetCompact());
+
+    // Delay last block up to the edge of the min-difficulty limit
+    next.nTime += params.nPowTargetSpacing * 5;
+
+    // Result should be unchanged, modulo integer division precision loss
+    EXPECT_EQ(GetNextWorkRequired(&blocks[lastBlk], &next, params), bnRes.GetCompact());
+
+    // Delay last block over the min-difficulty limit
+    next.nTime += 1;
+
+    // Result should be the minimum difficulty
+    EXPECT_EQ(GetNextWorkRequired(&blocks[lastBlk], &next, params),
+              UintToArith256(params.powLimit).GetCompact());
+}

src/miner.cpp

@@ -101,6 +101,11 @@ class TxPriorityCompare
 void UpdateTime(CBlockHeader* pblock, const Consensus::Params& consensusParams, const CBlockIndex* pindexPrev)
 {
     pblock->nTime = std::max(pindexPrev->GetMedianTimePast()+1, GetAdjustedTime());
+
+    // Updating time can change work required on testnet:
+    if (consensusParams.nPowAllowMinDifficultyBlocksAfterHeight != boost::none) {
+        pblock->nBits = GetNextWorkRequired(pindexPrev, pblock, consensusParams);
+    }
 }
 
 CBlockTemplate* CreateNewBlock(const CScript& scriptPubKeyIn)
@@ -722,6 +727,11 @@ void static BitcoinMiner()
                 // Update nNonce and nTime
                 pblock->nNonce = ArithToUint256(UintToArith256(pblock->nNonce) + 1);
                 UpdateTime(pblock, chainparams.GetConsensus(), pindexPrev);
+                if (chainparams.GetConsensus().nPowAllowMinDifficultyBlocksAfterHeight != boost::none)
+                {
+                    // Changing pblock->nTime can change work required on testnet:
+                    hashTarget.SetCompact(pblock->nBits);
+                }
             }
         }
     }

src/pow.cpp

@@ -24,6 +24,20 @@ unsigned int GetNextWorkRequired(const CBlockIndex* pindexLast, const CBlockHead
     if (pindexLast == NULL)
         return nProofOfWorkLimit;
 
+    {
+        // Comparing to pindexLast->nHeight with >= because this function
+        // returns the work required for the block after pindexLast.
+        if (params.nPowAllowMinDifficultyBlocksAfterHeight != boost::none &&
+            pindexLast->nHeight >= params.nPowAllowMinDifficultyBlocksAfterHeight.get())
+        {
+            // Special difficulty rule for testnet:
+            // If the new block's timestamp is more than 6 * 2.5 minutes
+            // then allow mining of a min-difficulty block.
+            if (pblock && pblock->GetBlockTime() > pindexLast->GetBlockTime() + params.nPowTargetSpacing * 6)
+                return nProofOfWorkLimit;
+        }
+    }
+
     // Find the first block in the averaging interval
     const CBlockIndex* pindexFirst = pindexLast;
     arith_uint256 bnTot {0};