How Does the Cost of a 51% Attack Relate to the Concept of “Risk-Free Rate” in Finance?

The cost of a 51% attack is a measure of the economic barrier to network compromise. It is conceptually related to the risk-free rate because the attacker must calculate the total cost (capital expenditure, electricity, opportunity cost) versus the potential profit from the attack.

The high cost of attacking a major chain ensures that the potential profit is far less than the cost, making the attack an economically irrational, high-risk endeavor.