minotaurx_hash

A Python C extension module for the MinotaurX proof-of-work hash function. This module provides high-performance cryptographic hashing used in blockchain mining.

Features

• Fast C implementation - Compiled C extension for optimal performance
• Python 3.6+ - Modern Python support (Python 2 no longer supported)
• Deterministic - Same input always produces the same output
• 32-byte output - Produces 256-bit hash digests
• Cross-platform - Works on Linux, macOS, and Windows

Prerequisites

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)

sudo apt-get install python3-dev build-essential

macOS

xcode-select --install

Windows

• Install Microsoft C++ Build Tools or Visual Studio Community
• Or use MinGW-w64

Installation

From Source

Clone the repository and install:

git clone https://github.com/AvianNetwork/minotaurx_hash.git
cd minotaurx_hash
pip install -e .

For Development

Install in editable mode with development tools:

pip install -e ".[dev]"

Usage

import minotaurx_hash
from binascii import hexlify, unhexlify

# Input must be exactly 80 bytes (typical blockchain block header)
input_data = unhexlify('700000005d385ba114d079970b29a9418fd0549e7d68a95c7f168621a314201000000000578586d149fd07b22f3a8a347c516de7052f034d2b76ff68e0d6ecff9b77a45489e3fd511732011df0731000')

# Generate hash
hash_result = minotaurx_hash.getPoWHash(input_data)

# Display as hex string
print(hexlify(hash_result).decode())
# Output: 43ea5f3eaaac756aaa2711a18c234e13038dd3b1462aae1aa710bb158f4acca9

API Reference

getPoWHash(data: bytes) -> bytes

Computes the MinotaurX proof-of-work hash.

Parameters:

• data (bytes): Input data, must be exactly 80 bytes

Returns:

• bytes: 32-byte hash digest

Raises:

• TypeError: If input is not bytes
• ValueError: If input length is not exactly 80 bytes

Testing

Run the comprehensive test suite:

# Using unittest
python test.py

# Or using unittest discovery
python -m unittest discover

# Or using pytest (if installed)
pytest test.py -v

The test suite includes:

• Known hash vector validation
• Output format and size verification
• Determinism checking
• Invalid input handling

Building Wheels

Build distribution wheels for all supported platforms:

pip install cibuildwheel
cibuildwheel --output-dir wheelhouse

This requires Docker on Linux or can use native build tools on macOS/Windows.

Supported Python Versions

• Python 3.6+
• CPython only (PyPy not supported due to C extension)

Algorithm Details

MinotaurX combines multiple hash algorithms in a deterministic graph traversal:

• Base algorithms: BLAKE, BMW, CubeHash, Echo, Fugue, Grøstl, HAMSI, JH, Keccak, Luffa, SHABAL, SHAvite, SIMD, Skein, Whirlpool, SHA-2
• CPU-hardening: yespower algorithm at leaf nodes
• Traversal: Binary tree path determined by intermediate hash outputs
• Output: Final 32 bytes of the result hash

For more details on the algorithm, see the comments in minotaurx.c.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please ensure:

• Code follows existing style conventions
• Changes include tests
• All tests pass: python test.py

License

Licensed under the MIT/X11 software license. See the LICENSE file for details.

Authors

• Original Minotaur algorithm: The Litecoin Cash Core developers
• MinotaurX implementation: The Avian Core developers
• Contributors: Shafil Alam and others