Block #159,685

TWNLength 9★☆☆☆☆

Bi-Twin Chain · Discovered 9/11/2013, 7:59:13 AM · Difficulty 9.8642 · 6,630,211 confirmations

TWN
Bi-Twin Chain

Interleaved pairs of primes that differ by 2, forming twin prime pairs at each level.

Block Header
Block Hash
cc64e868fb18df082546d2110ec31bfd85a1198bd0c0b0f3cbbc08d3bb37f4bc

Height

#159,685

Difficulty

9.864169

Transactions

13

Size

3.86 KB

Version

2

Bits

09dd3a27

Nonce

27,869

Timestamp

9/11/2013, 7:59:13 AM

Confirmations

6,630,211

Merkle Root

9c81041eaa080a8aef528f7a7fa66c25c99ace9992af00bf3dc5db8fa892acb4
Prime Chain Origin

This is the prime chain origin stored in the block header. It is a composite number (not prime itself) — it equals the first prime in the chain multiplied by a primorial. The origin anchors the entire chain to this specific block.

1.547 × 10⁹²(93-digit number)
15477423346940791737…26340316420254273119
Discovered Prime Numbers
Lower: 2^k × origin − 1 | Upper: 2^k × origin + 1

These are the actual prime numbers discovered by this block, computed using the verified Primecoin formula. Each number has been independently confirmed to pass the Fermat primality test. Use the FactorDB links to verify any number independently.

Level 0 — Twin Prime Pair (origin ± 1)
origin − 1
1.547 × 10⁹²(93-digit number)
15477423346940791737…26340316420254273119
Verify on FactorDB ↗Wolfram Alpha ↗
origin + 1
1.547 × 10⁹²(93-digit number)
15477423346940791737…26340316420254273121
Verify on FactorDB ↗Wolfram Alpha ↗
Difference: origin + 1 − origin − 1 = 2 (twin primes ✓)
Level 1 — Twin Prime Pair (2^1 × origin ± 1)
2^1 × origin − 1
3.095 × 10⁹²(93-digit number)
30954846693881583474…52680632840508546239
Verify on FactorDB ↗Wolfram Alpha ↗
2^1 × origin + 1
3.095 × 10⁹²(93-digit number)
30954846693881583474…52680632840508546241
Verify on FactorDB ↗Wolfram Alpha ↗
Difference: 2^1 × origin + 1 − 2^1 × origin − 1 = 2 (twin primes ✓)
Level 2 — Twin Prime Pair (2^2 × origin ± 1)
2^2 × origin − 1
6.190 × 10⁹²(93-digit number)
61909693387763166949…05361265681017092479
Verify on FactorDB ↗Wolfram Alpha ↗
2^2 × origin + 1
6.190 × 10⁹²(93-digit number)
61909693387763166949…05361265681017092481
Verify on FactorDB ↗Wolfram Alpha ↗
Difference: 2^2 × origin + 1 − 2^2 × origin − 1 = 2 (twin primes ✓)
Level 3 — Twin Prime Pair (2^3 × origin ± 1)
2^3 × origin − 1
1.238 × 10⁹³(94-digit number)
12381938677552633389…10722531362034184959
Verify on FactorDB ↗Wolfram Alpha ↗
2^3 × origin + 1
1.238 × 10⁹³(94-digit number)
12381938677552633389…10722531362034184961
Verify on FactorDB ↗Wolfram Alpha ↗
Difference: 2^3 × origin + 1 − 2^3 × origin − 1 = 2 (twin primes ✓)
Level 4 — Twin Prime Pair (2^4 × origin ± 1)
2^4 × origin − 1
2.476 × 10⁹³(94-digit number)
24763877355105266779…21445062724068369919
Verify on FactorDB ↗Wolfram Alpha ↗

What this block proved

The miner who found this block proved the existence of 9 consecutive prime numbers forming a Bi-Twin Chain. The prime chain origin — the large number shown above — anchors the chain and is divisible by a primorial (the product of small primes), cryptographically tying these prime numbers to this specific block.

★☆☆☆☆
Rarity
CommonChain length 9

Found in most blocks. The baseline for Primecoin's proof-of-work.

How Primecoin's Proof-of-Work Constructs These Primes

Primecoin stores a value called the prime chain origin in each block. The miner found a large integer such that when divided by a primorial (the product of small primes: 2 × 3 × 5 × 7 × …), the result is the first prime in the chain. The origin is deliberately divisible by this primorial — that divisibility is part of the proof.

Prime Chain Origin = First Prime × Primorial (2·3·5·7·11·…)
Source: Primecoin prime.cpp — CheckPrimeProofOfWork()

This is why the origin has many small prime factors — those factors are the primorial divisor. The chain then extends from the first prime using the TWN formula:

TWN: twin pairs (p, p+2) where p = origin/primorial − 1 and p+2 = origin/primorial + 1
Circulating Supply:57,563,146 XPM·at block #6,789,895 · updates every 60s