How Does a Fast Propagation Delay Impact the Effectiveness of a 51% Attack?
A fast block propagation delay significantly reduces the effectiveness and increases the cost of a 51% attack. Since the attacker's malicious blocks are quickly broadcast, the honest network is rapidly informed, making it harder for the attacker to maintain a secret, longer chain without committing massive, unsustainable hashrate.
Fast propagation limits the attacker's window of opportunity to perform a double-spend.
Glossar
Block Propagation Delay
Latency ⎊ Block propagation delay represents the time required for a newly mined block to disseminate across a cryptocurrency network, impacting consensus stability and potential network vulnerabilities.
Propagation Speed
Latency ⎊ Propagation speed within cryptocurrency markets and financial derivatives reflects the time required for price information to disseminate across exchanges and trading venues.
Propagation Delay Impact
Latency ⎊ Propagation Delay Impact, within cryptocurrency, options, and derivatives, represents the time differential between an initiating event ⎊ such as an order placement ⎊ and its execution or reflection across the network.