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What is the mean number of embedded hashes per Ether?

If my understanding is correct, the Keccak-256 hash function is a fundemental unit of computational work on the Ethereum blockchain. Therefore each new ETH unit must have some number of hashes performed to bring it into existance. I'm interesting in gauging what this value is and how it changes over time:

How has NoHashes/ETH changed over time?

I'm assuming it varies with the Proof of Work target value. I'm am unsure if there was any special mechanism behind the pre-sale which changes the NoHashes/ETH.

How will NoHashes/ETH change when the system changes to Proof of Stake?

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The number of hashes depends on the number of miners that partecipate in a lottery to win the Ether fee.
Therefore you can not have a number NoHashes/Eth.

See the hashrate growing.

The hashing is a way do have a distributed random generator. It is a riddle to produce a hash of the last block with a certain amount of zeros as prefix. This is essential for Proof of work systems. With Proof of Stake there is another algorithm to generate such a distributed random generator. Hashing is not needed anymore, so here the answer is: 0.

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  • Thanks @Roland. As the hashrate grows, wouldn't "the lottery" get won more quickly (assuming constant difficulty)? With each block some total number of hashes must've be performed by the network and ETH rewarded for the block and Uncles... Therefore, surely NoHashes/ETH is a valid unit?
    – atomh33ls
    Jun 7, 2016 at 11:19
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    No, the lottery is won about every 14 sec. This is wanted a feature, that is achieved by adapting the difficulty of the riddle to the mining power (sum of all hashes per block or second if you will) in the system. etherscan.io/charts/blocktime the NoHashes is never constant but growing as the chart suggests.
    – Roland Kofler
    Jun 7, 2016 at 11:28
  • Understood, but surely there is a total number of hashes, across the network, for each lottery and a related number of awarded ETH. Therefore there is a changing NoHashes/ETH value - perhaps it is mainly related to difficuly as you suggest and grows with the graph you posted.
    – atomh33ls
    Jun 7, 2016 at 11:36
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    The newly created ETH per block is 5 Ether so at least this is constant.
    – Roland Kofler
    Jun 7, 2016 at 11:41

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