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Race Attack

Race attacks are a type of malicious activity where two transactions are created at the same time using the same funds to spend them twice. This can be done by an attacker who controls both of the transactions, or by two separate attackers who are working together.

If two transactions are created at the same time, it can be difficult for the network to determine which one is the valid one. This can lead to one or both of the transactions being rejected, or to one being confirmed and the other being left in limbo. Either way, the result is that the funds are effectively wasted.

Race attacks can be prevented by ensuring that there is only one valid transaction for each set of funds. This can be done by waiting for a certain number of confirmations on a transaction before considering it final, or by using a technique called transaction ordering.

By taking these precautions, we can make sure that race attacks are not a problem for the Bitcoin network.



27 Dec 2023

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