Definition ∞ Physical assumptions are foundational hypotheses about the nature and behavior of the physical world, which underpin scientific theories and technological designs. In the context of secure systems, these assumptions relate to the limitations of an adversary’s ability to manipulate physical processes or access information. For example, cryptographic security often assumes the difficulty of breaking certain physical properties of computing hardware or communication channels. If these assumptions are incorrect, the security of systems could be compromised.
Context ∞ While abstract, physical assumptions are indirectly relevant to the security of digital assets and blockchain infrastructure, often appearing in discussions about long-term security models. For instance, the security of proof-of-work blockchains relies on the physical assumption that manipulating computational power at a large scale is economically prohibitive. A critical future development involves assessing how advancements in physics or computing, such as quantum technology, might challenge current physical assumptions underlying cryptographic security.
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