user129320: just a general question, would it be ethical to start mining bitcoin using a shortcut, in the SHA256 hash (if that may even be possible), and mining at a much much faster speed using very less processing power/electricity than everyone else?

user101191: This is how all markets work: some individuals try to produce a good faster, cheaper, and better than everyone else, in order to make more profit. Over time, these advantages are diffused into the general public, allowing competitors to catch up. This process is called innovation.
In Bitcoin, people who produced ASICs initially had an advantage over those using CPUs, GPUs, or FPGAs. So did people who had access to cheaper electricity. However, Bitcoin's difficulty adjustment means that this rise in hash rate will result in a rise in difficulty for all miners.

129320: <p>just a general question, would it be ethical to start mining bitcoin using a shortcut, in the SHA256 hash (if that may even be possible), and mining at a much much faster speed using very less processing power/electricity than everyone else?</p>
 101191: <p>This is how all markets work: some individuals try to produce a good faster, cheaper, and better than everyone else, in order to make more profit. Over time, these advantages are diffused into the general public, allowing competitors to catch up. This process is called innovation.</p>
<p>In Bitcoin, people who produced ASICs initially had an advantage over those using CPUs, GPUs, or FPGAs. So did people who had access to cheaper electricity. However, Bitcoin's difficulty adjustment means that this rise in hash rate will result in a rise in difficulty for all miners.</p>
