Definition ∞ Adversary costs refer to the total resources an attacker must expend to compromise a cryptographic system or blockchain network. These costs include computational power, financial outlay, and time required to execute a successful attack. A robust system design aims to make these expenditures prohibitively high for malicious actors. This economic disincentive safeguards network integrity and transaction finality.
Context ∞ The concept of adversary costs is central to assessing the security model of various blockchain protocols, particularly in proof-of-work and proof-of-stake systems. News often reports on analyses comparing these costs across different networks, influencing perceptions of a digital asset’s security posture. Ongoing research seeks to further elevate these costs through cryptographic advancements and protocol upgrades, thereby strengthening network defenses.
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