What Is the Relationship between Network Hashrate and the Economic Finality of a PoW Chain?

Network hashrate is directly proportional to the economic finality of a Proof-of-Work (PoW) chain. The higher the total hashrate, the greater the energy and hardware cost required for an attacker to amass 51% control and generate a longer, fraudulent chain.

A high, stable hashrate increases the difficulty of the attack, making it economically irrational to attempt a deep chain reorg. Therefore, a robust and decentralized hashrate is the foundation of a PoW chain's economic security and transaction finality.