Hash Rate Renting

Hash rate renting involves leasing computing power from third-party mining providers to temporarily gain control over a blockchain's consensus. Instead of investing in proprietary hardware, an attacker uses cloud mining platforms to acquire enough hash power to launch a 51 percent attack.

This lowers the barrier to entry for executing consensus-level exploits, making even established networks vulnerable if they are not sufficiently decentralized. The rented power can be directed toward a specific chain to reorganize blocks or execute double-spends within a short time window.

This market-based approach to attacking networks highlights the danger of relying on commodity hardware for security. It turns the security of a blockchain into a rental commodity, which can be purchased by any entity with sufficient capital.