Original archived Re: Testnet 51% possible ? today ?
Scraped on 29/04/2025, 21:55:43 UTC
It's probably pointless to launch the attack, unless they want to proceed with a 'griefing attack, that screw up network operation. The 51% attack would help improvise enough testnet to generate a great number of blocks in a little time - James Lopp
created 165000 blocks in a week using this attack and slowed down the network. The good part of it is that it hurts the functionality of testnet marketplaces, and the delay it causes the workflow of developers who are running their applications on the testnet, is certainly the bad side of the attack, although the action has no benefits for the attacker, it really pisses off developers.
Although it is essentially useless from a financial standpoint, a 51% attack on the Bitcoin testnet, such as the one that Innopolis Tech could carry out with its 51.76% hash rate, can be a useful griefing attack. An attack like this enables the entity to mine blocks quickly this technique was once used by Jameson Lopp to create 165,000 blocks in a week interfering with regular network operations time sensitive processes like time locks and Lightning based apps are disrupted the blockchain is overloaded the chain size is bloated, and mempool instability results by slowing down workflows postponing testing and impairing the functionality of testnet marketplaces it seriously hinders developers who depend on the testnet even though it offers no real advantage to the attacker it's an inexpensive method of annoying and upsetting the Bitcoin development community without putting the mainnet at risk