What Is the Role of a “Genesis Block” in Preventing a Long-Range Attack?

The genesis block is the very first block of a blockchain, serving as the common starting point for all nodes. In the context of a long-range attack, the genesis block's hash is the unchangeable anchor of the entire chain's history.

While an attacker can create an alternative chain starting from the genesis block, the network's reliance on subsequent checkpoints and the high cost of re-staking for the attack make it infeasible. The genesis block itself is not enough to prevent the attack, but it provides the immutable starting point from which the attack must commence.