What Are the Security Implications of a Low Mining Difficulty?

A low mining difficulty can pose significant security risks to a Proof-of-Work blockchain. It implies that a relatively small amount of computational power (hashrate) is needed to mine new blocks.

This low barrier makes the network more vulnerable to a 51% attack, where a single entity or group could gain control of the majority of the network's hashrate. With such control, an attacker could potentially reverse transactions, double-spend coins, and prevent legitimate transactions from being confirmed.

Therefore, a sufficiently high difficulty is crucial for network security.

Explain the Role of a Nonce in Preventing Double-Spending
What Is the Risk of “Forking” during the Final Settlement of a Trade?
What Is the Role of Network Latency in Preventing Double-Spending?
What Is the Difference between Selfish Mining and a 51% Attack?
Explain the Concept of ‘Double-Spending’ and How Signatures Prevent It
How Does a Proof-of-Work (PoW) Consensus Mechanism Prevent Double-Spending?
What Is a ‘51% Attack’ and How Is It Related to Total Network Hash Rate?
How Do UTXOs Help Prevent “Double-Spending” in a Decentralized Network?

Glossar