Post
Topic
Board Development & Technical Discussion
Re: The way how to double protection bitcoin network against 51% attack
by
2112
on 24/12/2011, 04:54:03 UTC
If clients are relying on your service attackers would only need to disrupt it (though finger nail pulling or large bank accounts in the Caymans) for seconds.  
I don't know what you & Casascius have in your minds exactly, but my understanding of the "checkpoint services" would be that they will provide ratings for each block: AAA, AA, A and so on. The big exchange like MtGox would run its own pool and its own block rating service. Then instead of the fixed "6 confirmations" to consider the transaction valid people would agree to make the conditions more involved, eg: transaction is valid when MtGox rates the block containing it at least A and Casascius at least AA and slush|TradeHill-conglomerated at least AAA. There wouldn't be a single point to attack. The attacks would result mostly in  delays of the settlement.