[FullMtlAlcoholc]

For any cryptocurrency experts out there, is there any way the Bitcoin protocol could be altered (or temporarily halted while being updated) without compromising the blockchain so that instead of guessing for some hash/key combination, it could be part of some distributed computing project? Like assisting in the Folding@Home or some other project that benefits humanity in some way? I know hindsight is 20/20, but it represents an immense wasted opportunity and supposedly consumes more electricity than all of Argentina.

[JustFinishedBSG]

Proof of Work has by very definition to be useless work, otherwise it doesn't "cost" anything to attack the network as you get something as a byproduct.

The very idea of Proof of Work is completely insane and stupid if you think about it more than 10 seconds but hey here we are.