51% attack on Ethereum more difficult than on Bitcoin — Justin Drake
Justin Drake, an architect of Ethereum's proof-of-stake (PoS) implementation, stated that launching a 51% attack on Bitcoin would be cheaper than on Ethereum, estimating the cost for Bitcoin at around $10 billion. Grant Hummer, co-founder of Etherealize, echoed this sentiment, suggesting an $8 billion cost for a successful Bitcoin attack, with a high likelihood of success if costs drop to $2 billion. A 51% attack allows control over a blockchain's mining or staking power. Drake noted that controlling Ethereum would require over $44.8 billion worth of staked Ether, making such an attack significantly more expensive. Ethereum's security benefits from community coordination and the ability to identify attackers, unlike Bitcoin's proof-of-work model. Experts agree that while theoretically possible, the practical barriers to executing a 51% attack on both networks are substantial.
