Definition ∞ Security impossibility, in a cryptographic context, indicates that achieving a certain security property is fundamentally unattainable under specific assumptions or within a given model. This means no protocol or algorithm can guarantee that particular security aspect, regardless of its design. It establishes theoretical limits on what can be cryptographically secured.
Context ∞ Discussions of security impossibility often appear in academic research and advanced technical analyses of blockchain protocols, informing the theoretical boundaries of digital asset security. News might reference these concepts when evaluating the fundamental limitations of certain privacy-enhancing technologies or the inherent trade-offs in decentralized system design. It helps define realistic expectations for the security guarantees offered by various cryptographic solutions.