I used to be studying Andreas Antonopoulos and Gavin Wooden’s ebook, Mastering Ethereum (hyperlink to open supply model on Githib).
In keeping with the authors in chapter 4, Ethereum was constructed on the Keccak-256 encryption operate which was created by NIST. Shortly after this operate was launched and adopted, a supposedly new and improved model of it was launched by NIST. This new “SHA 3” operate was going for use by Ethereum and is definitely listed in most of the docs in consequence.
Edward Snowden’s leaked paperwork confirmed that the NSA had doubtlessly positioned a backdoor into this newer operate, permitting them to interrupt its encryption in the event that they ever wanted to. This leak brought on the Ethereum neighborhood to stay with Keccak, single-handedly saving it from the NSA.
Edward Snowden’s 1/1 NFT, Keep Free, actually hits totally different now.
edit: formatting