Bitcoin is remarkably robust, potentially withstanding up to 90% of global subsea cables breaking at once — research shows Bitcoin remains potentially susceptible to specific strikes, nonetheless.

Cambridge researchers have finalized the initial long-term investigation into Bitcoin’s durability against network infrastructure failures, focusing specifically on submarine data cable occurrences (PDF paper). The conclusion is that “Bitcoin is highly resilient to random cable failures,” with the scientists saying that between 72% and 92% of the world's submarine cables would need to be severed simultaneously to result in significant mode disconnection. Nevertheless, the research team observed that Bitcoin could be very vulnerable to targeted attacks.

The research analyzed records spanning 11 years of P2P network activity to assess the consequences of 68 confirmed cable failure incidents (even though Bitcoin has existed since 2009). As hinted at in the intro, there is a stark contrast between the impacts of ‘random’ cable failure events and what could happen if someone were intent on disrupting this iconic cryptocurrency.

Central to the resiliency report is the application of a Buldyrev‑style cascade model to the data. This aids in evaluating actual systems featuring mutual dependencies: examples like computing networks, electrical grids, and transit systems.

Applying these figures, the Cambridge researchers estimate Bitcoin’s breaking point for unintentional glitches is between 72% and 92%. It is also noted that the integration of the Tor protocol has acted as a safeguard against interference. Bitcoin’s transition toward Tor signifies an autonomous reaction to oversight demands that concurrently improves framework durability, where opposition to censorship and structural stability are mutually reinforcing instead Than rival attributes,” state the Cambridge researchers in their final remarks.

As for targeted attacks on the network, that’s a different story. Bitcoin is “far more vulnerable to targeted attacks,” note the researchers. A malicious actor targeting just five of the largest routing domains (Hetzner, OVH, Comcast, Amazon, and Google Cloud) would cripple the Bitcoin network.

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In general, the research findings are rather favorable for cryptocurrency enthusiasts. However, the resiliency of the networks that crypto needs to be maintained is under more pressure than ever before, with cables in the Baltic, waters around the Middle East, and the Taiwan Strait all attracting unwelcome disruptions in recent months.

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