[commodoreboxer]

We can and do, all the time. And all puzzles are a "waste of resources", really.

I'm not into crypto and I do think Bitcoin is stupid and wasteful, but I don't find it "sick" or all what upsetting that this kind of puzzle exists, though I think some smart contract-based Ethereum puzzles could be much more interesting, demanding solutions to more interesting problems that don't directly relate to the blockchain itself. Imagine a smart contract with a pot anybody can pay into that pays out to whoever could crack a particular previously unsolvable problem. Basically a public bounty. The only downside is that it has to be a problem that can be validated algorithmically.

[kelnos]

This isn't really a puzzle, though. A puzzle requires intellectual curiosity and creativity to solve.

This was just a race to see who could burn the most CPU/GPU cycles the fastest.

Even when a real puzzle has a monetary reward for solving it, a big component of the reward is the solving itself. For this, the reward is just money.

[commodoreboxer]

I agree with you. I think it's a bit wasteful and dumb, I just don't find it either sick or confusing.

[wruza]

Puzzles are training and intellectual entertainment, something you cannot have a web server without, cause sad nerds are unproductive.