Reorganization Attack Risk
Reorganization attack risk refers to the potential for a malicious actor to rewrite the recent history of a blockchain by creating a longer chain that supersedes the existing one. This is typically achieved by gaining control of a significant portion of the network hash power or stake, allowing the attacker to invalidate previous transactions.
Such attacks are catastrophic for financial derivatives, as they can lead to double-spending or the removal of liquidation events. The risk is heightened in networks with low total security spend or high forking frequency.
Understanding this risk is foundational for risk management in crypto-assets, as it dictates the required confirmation depth for large transactions. Protocols must implement robust defenses to ensure the immutability of the ledger.