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What is 51% Attack?
Describe a 51% Attack. A group of miners who control more than 50% of the network’s mining hash rate is said to be conducting a 51% attack when they target a cryptocurrency blockchain. The controlling parties have the ability to change the blockchain because they control 51% of the network’s nodes.
A 51% attack occurs when a malevolent user in a network seizes control of all mining resources for a specific blockchain. It suggests that the assailants will have more than 50% of the mining power and will be able to mine more quickly than anyone else.
The confirmation and ordering of new transactions can both be stopped by the attackers. The malevolent actors can then reverse the transactions and modify some portions of a blockchain. Typically, a 51% attack defeats the blockchain’s security measures. Depending on the attacker’s mining capabilities, the attack’s effects can range from minor to severe.
The impacts of 51% attack on Blockchain and Bitcoin:
- New transactions are delayed
- Causes network disruption
- This leads to reduced miner rewards
- Distributed ledgers called blockchains keep track of each transaction that occurs on a cryptocurrency network.
- A group of miners that control more than 50% of the network’s hash rate can assault a blockchain with a 51% attack.
- Attackers with majority network control can stop other miners from finishing blocks, which will stop the recording of new blocks.
- Due to the chain of information maintained in the blockchain for Bitcoin, changing historical blocks is not possible.
- Smaller networks are frequently the subject of 51% attacks, even though it is doubtful that either Bitcoin or Ethereum would be successfully attacked.
Is a 51% Attack on Bitcoin Possible?
A particularly well-funded attacker could launch a 51% attack on the Bitcoin blockchain, but the expense of obtaining sufficient hashing power to do so typically prevents it from happening.
- 50% Limit on a single miner
- Using Proof of Stake
- Strong network community
