Monero 51% attack risk arises when a single mining pool controls a majority of hash rate, enabling block reorgs; proposals to harden Monero PoW include ChainLocks-style masternode finality, merge-mining, hardware localization, and stricter exchange confirmations.
Monero 51% attack: concentration of hash rate enables reorgs and double-spend risk.
Proposed defenses: ChainLocks-style quorum finality, merge mining, localized ASIC deployment, and economic hardening.
Data: Qubic pool reported ~2.18 GH/s vs Supportxmr ~1.18 GH/s on Monero at time of reporting.
Monero 51% attack risk: learn how proposed ChainLocks, merge-mining and policy changes can protect XMR. Read analysis and next steps now.
What is a Monero 51% attack?
Monero 51% attack is when a single entity or coalition controls a majority of XMR mining power, enabling block reorganizations and potential double-spend attacks. Such control threatens ledger finality and prompts exchanges and users to demand higher confirmations or suspend deposits.
How can Monero’s PoW be hardened against 51% attacks?
Monero’s community is evaluating multiple technical and policy options to strengthen PoW. Proposals include:
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- ChainLocks-style masternode finality: add a quorum of randomly selected nodes to sign and lock the first valid block, preventing long reorgs while keeping PoW intact.
- Merge-mining: enable simultaneous mining with a larger chain (conceptually similar to merge mining alongside Bitcoin or other chains) to increase total committed work.
- Localizing and diversifying hardware: encourage geographically and economically distributed ASIC or CPU mining to reduce consolidation risk.
- Exchange and ecosystem policies: require more confirmations (e.g., Kraken’s temporary 720-confirmation rule) and risk controls during consolidation events.
The Qubic mining pool was reported to control approximately 2.18 GH/s, while Supportxmr controlled about 1.18 GH/s, according to public hash-rate trackers. Those numbers illustrate how a single large pool can materially change network security.
A proposal to overhaul Monero’s consensus mechanism to include a masternode system on top of the existing proof-of-work system. Source: Monero
Why would ChainLocks help Monero?
ChainLocks uses a quorum of masternodes to reach consensus on the first valid block and then cryptographically lock it, preventing longer proof-of-work chains that would reorganize history. Implemented on top of PoW, it provides finality against selfish or malicious miners without replacing mining security.
Joel Valenzuela, Dash DAO core member, explained that ChainLocks prevents 51% attacks and block reorganizations, even when malicious miners present a chain with more accumulated PoW. He warned that ASIC-resistance can create economic incentives that attackers may exploit.
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Qubic, an AI-focused blockchain and mining pool, announced gaining 51% control over Monero in August, prompting community debate and prompting some operators to take precautionary steps. Exchanges reacted with heightened confirmation policies and temporary suspension of deposits in some cases.
Source: Qubic founder Sergey Ivancheglo, aka Come-from-Beyond
How did exchanges and the community respond?
Major custodians adjusted risk controls: one large exchange temporarily suspended Monero deposits, later reinstating them with a requirement of 720 confirmations before crediting accounts. Community sentiment split between those who viewed the event as a partial reorg and those who treated it as majority control.
The Qubic community later voted to target Dogecoin as its next potential mining objective; Qubic’s founder noted that porting to DOGE would require months of development and that current efforts remained focused on XMR.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How likely is a full takeover by a single pool?
Probability depends on hash-rate distribution; when one pool approaches or exceeds 50% of total hash rate, the risk rises materially. Public data showed Qubic at ~2.18 GH/s versus Supportxmr at ~1.18 GH/s during the event, highlighting vulnerability.
What immediate user protections are recommended?
Users should wait for additional confirmations during suspicious periods, use reputable custodians with conservative policies, and follow community advisories on wallet and node upgrades.
Key Takeaways
- Concentration risk: A single large pool controlling hash power creates reorg and double-spend risk.
- Layered defenses: ChainLocks-style finality, merge-mining, and hardware diversification can reduce attack surface.
- Operational responses: Exchanges may raise confirmations or suspend deposits; users should await network stabilization.
Conclusion
Monero’s exposure to concentrated mining power has triggered concrete proposals to harden its PoW model, from ChainLocks-style quorum finality to merge-mining and policy changes. The community debate balances decentralization and practicality; stakeholders should monitor developments and prioritize network resilience. COINOTAG will continue to report updates and technical analysis.
Several solutions have been proposed to bolster Monero’s proof-of-work consensus mechanism to prevent 51% attacks on the network.
The Monero community is exploring a potential overhaul of its proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanism to make the network resistant to 51% attacks.
Community members suggested several proposals, including localizing mining hardware, switching to a merge mining algorithm, allowing XMR to be mined alongside Bitcoin (BTC) or other major cryptocurrencies, and adopting Dash’s ChainLocks solution.
Dash’s ChainLocks uses “randomly selected masternodes” to reach a quorum on the first valid block broadcast by the network, locking the blockchain ledger into place and appending the chain only with blocks verified through the ChainLock system. This would function on top of the existing PoW Consensus.
A proposal to overhaul Monero’s consensus mechanism to include a masternode system on top of the existing proof-of-work system. Source: Monero
ChainLocks prevents 51% network attacks and block reorganizations, even if proposed blocks come from selfish or malicious miners with a higher accumulated proof-of-work than the ChainLocks verified chain, Joel Valenzuela, Dash DAO core member, told plain-text media. He also warned that the Qubic experiment exposes economic weaknesses in ASIC-resistant security models.
“The Qubic attack is a fascinating experiment that essentially exploits weaknesses in mined security models, particularly in their economics, and particularly for chains that don’t have application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Any ASIC-resistant chain should be worried. Even those with ASICs need to have their economic priorities in place, or suffer attacks,” Valenzuela continued.
Qubic, an AI-focused blockchain and mining pool, announced that it gained 51% control over Monero in August, prompting fears that the community may target other proof-of-work blockchains.
Qubic becomes the largest Monero mining pool, community votes to target DOGE next
The Qubic mining pool currently controls 2.18 gigahashes per second (GH/s), making it the miner with the most hashing power on the Monero network, according to public mining statistics trackers.
Supportxmr is the second-largest mining pool by hashing power, commanding 1.18 GH/s of computing power at the time of this writing.
Monero’s community remains divided on the attack, with a portion of Monero users claiming that Qubic never achieved majority control over the network’s hashing power and only managed a limited block reorganization, not a majority takeover of the network.
Source: Qubic founder Sergey Ivancheglo, aka Come-from-Beyond
Despite the denials, an exchange announced it was temporarily suspending Monero deposits, and later re-enabled deposits with the stipulation that 720 confirmations are required before crediting accounts with XMR.
“Given the current uncertainty around the security of the Monero network due to significant consolidation of hash rate under a single entity, exchanges may halt deposits at any time and delay crediting at their discretion,” the exchange wrote in an update.
On Sunday, the Qubic community voted to make Dogecoin (DOGE) its next mining target, earning over 300 votes from community members — more than all the other options combined.
Following the vote, Sergey Ivancheglo, the founder of the Qubic network, clarified that DOGE mining “requires months of development,” and the mining pool is currently focused on mining XMR.
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Source: https://en.coinotag.com/monero-considers-proof-of-work-overhaul-with-chainlocks-and-merge-mining-to-potentially-deter-51-attacks/