Nations are facing challenges with carrying out cost-prohibitive 51% attacks on Bitcoin and Ethereum networks, as the latest research indicates that the high costs involved make such attacks financially impractical for nation-states. 

This finding is supported by a study from Coin Metrics, which dispels fears surrounding the feasibility of 51% attacks on these networks by nation-states.

 The cost to attack these networks has been quantified in a study titled “Breaking BFT: Quantifying the Cost to Attack Bitcoin and Ethereum,” which highlights the significant financial barriers to such attacks.

51% attack on bitcoin and ethereum

A 51% attack is a potential threat to a cryptocurrency blockchain, occurring when a single miner or a group of miners controls more than 50% of the network’s mining hash rate.

This majority control theoretically allows the attackers to alter the blockchain, such as preventing new transactions from being confirmed or reversing transactions to double-spend tokens. However, the latest research from Coin Metrics suggests that it is no longer financially viable for nation-states to carry out 51% attacks on the Bitcoin and Ethereum networks due to the significant costs involved.

 The high costs make such attacks financially impractical, as evidenced by the “Breaking BFT: Quantifying the Cost to Attack Bitcoin and Ethereum” study, which highlights the substantial financial barriers to these attacks. 

The likelihood of a successful 51% attack on larger networks like Bitcoin and Ethereum is low due to their high security and the significant resources required to control the majority of the network’s hash rate.

Is there any way to protect newtworks of BTC and ETH against 51% attacks

Bitcoin and Ethereum networks protect against 51% attacks through various measures. One of the primary ways is by using a proof-of-work consensus algorithm, which requires miners to solve complex mathematical problems to validate transactions and add new blocks to the blockchain.

This makes it difficult for any one miner or group of miners to control more than 50% of the network’s hash rate, which is necessary to carry out a 51% attack.

Additionally, the use of random node selection and delaying blockchain confirmations can make it more challenging for attackers to manipulate the blockchain. Some cryptocurrencies, such as Ethereum, also use a proof-of-stake consensus algorithm, which requires nodes to put their assets up for stake for a chance to validate transactions.

This method discourages malicious actors from attempting a 51% attack, as they would risk losing their staked assets. Finally, regular blockchain protocol audits can help identify and address vulnerabilities that could be exploited in a 51% attack