Re:DarkSide ransomware gang quits after servers, Bitcoin sta...
by Gaelan on Saturday May 15, 2021 @03:58AM
(#27163338)
I mean it doesn’t require ASICS, it’s just inefficient not to, right? Shouldn’t it be theoretically possible to mount a 51% attack with conventional CPUs (or GPUs), just a lot more of them? I have no idea what kind of computing resources various major states have, but I wouldn’t completely write off the possibility that they have enough CPUs to throw at the problem.
Re:DarkSide ransomware gang quits after servers, Bitcoin sta...
by dannyw on Saturday May 15, 2021 @04:54AM
(#27163562)
Bitcoin is currently 170 exahashes per second, or 170 x 10^18.
The latest and greatest Intel i7 can do maybe 30 mh/s.
You would need more than all cpus produced in history. I can believe G7 secretly having a third of total known CPU compute.
I can't believe G7 secretly having multiples of all known CPU compute.
Re:DarkSide ransomware gang quits after servers, Bitcoin sta...
by tinus_hn on Saturday May 15, 2021 @08:24AM
(#27164563)
And be wanting to reserve it all for a longer period of time to disrupt the Bitcoin network.
Re:DarkSide ransomware gang quits after servers, Bitcoin sta...
by sudomakeup on Saturday May 15, 2021 @11:06AM
(#27165846)
They can certainly do it for any "ASIC resistant" coin
Semiconductor production can't be scaled up instantly, so 51% attacks require seizure of assets.
Even if the USA purchased every single CPU, GPU, FPGA, and ASIC made in the next month, it's unlikely they will have more than 10% of the network or so.
To seize the majority of the hashpower, they'd have to seize Chinese miners, which require either US-China cooperation or a world war.