feat(cli): add option for no difficulty scaling

src/cli.rs

@@ -111,6 +111,12 @@ targets as a comma-separated list."
         help = "Print verbose ouput on non-matching public keys"
     )]
     pub verbose_output: bool,
+    #[arg(
+        long,
+        default_value_t = false,
+        help = "When true, disables difficulty scaling and keeps it fixed throughout."
+    )]
+    pub no_scaling: bool,
 }
 
 pub fn check_args(

src/main.rs

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
     }
 
     let mut difficulty: u8 = parsed_args.difficulty;
+    let no_scaling: bool = parsed_args.no_scaling;
     let vanity_prefix: String = parsed_args.vanity_prefix;
     let mut vanity_npub_prefixes: Vec<String> = Vec::new();
     let mut vanity_npub_suffixes: Vec<String> = Vec::new();
@@ -89,10 +90,16 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
             pow_difficulty = difficulty;
         }
 
+        if no_scaling {
+            pow_difficulty = difficulty;
+        }
+
         println!(
             "Started mining process with a difficulty of: {difficulty} (pow: {pow_difficulty})"
         );
     }
+
+    println!("Difficulty scaling: {}", !no_scaling);
 
     // benchmark cores
     if !vanity_npub_prefixes.is_empty() || !vanity_npub_suffixes.is_empty() {
@@ -202,7 +209,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
                     // difficulty search
                     leading_zeroes = get_leading_zero_bits(&keys.public_key().serialize());
                     is_valid_pubkey = leading_zeroes > best_diff.load(Ordering::Relaxed);
-                    if is_valid_pubkey {
+                    if is_valid_pubkey && !no_scaling {
                         // update difficulty only if it was set in the first place
                         if best_diff.load(Ordering::Relaxed) > 0 {
                             best_diff