What Is a 51% Attack and How Does It Relate to Hashrate Rental?

A 51% attack occurs when a single entity gains control of more than half of a blockchain network's total mining hashrate. This control allows the attacker to manipulate the transaction order, stop new transactions from being confirmed, and most critically, perform double-spending.

Hashrate rental markets directly facilitate this by providing a liquid, on-demand source of mining power. An attacker can rent the necessary hashrate for a short period to execute the attack without owning expensive mining equipment.