Definition ∞ Pool math manipulation refers to deceptive practices aimed at unfairly altering the expected returns or distributions within a cryptocurrency mining pool or liquidity pool. This can involve exploiting vulnerabilities in the pool’s reward calculation algorithms, submitting false shares, or manipulating transaction ordering to gain an undue advantage. Such manipulation undermines the fairness and integrity of shared resource systems. It represents a form of economic attack.
Context ∞ News about pool math manipulation often surfaces in reports on security audits of decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, particularly automated market makers (AMMs) and yield farming platforms. These exploits can lead to significant losses for legitimate participants and erode trust in the affected protocols. Developers and auditors continuously work to identify and mitigate such vulnerabilities, as they pose a serious threat to the economic stability of various digital asset ecosystems.