Watchman Privacy 190 - Start Mining NOW: Monero is Under Attack
Aug 15, 2025
Gabriel and Urban dive into the alarming attempt to 51% attack the privacy cryptocurrency Monero. They explain what a 51% attack entails and the potential risks involved, including censorship. The discussion reveals how attackers attempted to control Monero through clever strategies like merge-mining. They also touch on the psychological tactics at play and the importance of community preparedness. Listeners are encouraged to join the fight by mining at home and considering economic countermeasures against potential threats.
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What A 51% Attack Actually Is
- A 51% attack means controlling majority validator power to censor or rewrite transactions.
- The attackers in this case never truly obtained majority hash power, so they failed technically.
Price Crash And Real Consequences
- The attack caused real market harm: Monero's price fell roughly 40% over the prior month.
- People dependent on Monero experienced severe financial impact and panic on exchanges.
Economic Vector Over Raw Power
- The attackers used merge-mining and an AI-token scheme to cheaply attract miners.
- They exploited economic incentives rather than pure raw hashpower to try to control Monero.