PortlandHODL reveals how "poison blocks" can paralyze Bitcoin nodes for hours, creating profitable attack vectors for malicious miners while the network relies on policy filters for protection.
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PortlandHODL explains Bitcoin's most dangerous vulnerability: poison blocks. These malicious blocks can freeze nodes for 11+ hours on Raspberry Pi devices and 25 minutes on enterprise hardware, creating profitable attack opportunities for miners while exposing how relay policy acts as an accidental guardian of the network.
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Notes:
• Poison Blocks (denial of service)
• Raspberry Pi validation: 11 hours for poison blocks
• Enterprise hardware: 25 minutes validation time
• Attack gives 20% effective hash rate boost
• Fix exists in Great Consensus Cleanup
• Bitcoin fees currently under $1
Timestamps:
00:00 Start
00:53 Real threats to Bitcoin
04:55 How is block made?
11:46 Nodes & DOS blocks
20:03 Making DOS blocks
29:33 Arch Network
30:05 Miners & DOS blocks
36:46 Attack response time
40:47 Fixing the problem
43:25 Why not fixed yet?
54:12 Client diversity
1:01:11 Other good soft forks
1:05:12 Are you worried?
1:10:03 "Deep Thoughts" by Portland HODL
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