Layered Blockchain Security: Classifying Cryptocurrency Attacks → Research

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Briefing

The proliferation of blockchain-based cryptocurrencies has introduced novel security challenges, leading to significant economic losses and hindering healthy ecosystem development. This paper presents a systematization of knowledge, classifying security threats and attacks into five fundamental categories aligned with the blockchain’s layered architecture → Data, Network, Consensus, Contract, and Application layers. This foundational framework dissects the vulnerability principles, attacker methodologies, and existing countermeasures for each attack type, revealing that while blockchain inherently offers distributed security, its multi-layered complexity introduces diverse attack surfaces that necessitate continuous, multi-dimensional defense strategies to safeguard future decentralized architectures.

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Context

Prior to this research, the rapid evolution of blockchain technology and its applications outpaced a cohesive understanding of its holistic security landscape. While individual attacks like 51% attacks or reentrancy exploits were analyzed, a comprehensive, layered classification system for cryptocurrency security threats remained elusive. The prevailing theoretical limitation centered on fragmented analysis, which obscured the interconnectedness of vulnerabilities across the blockchain stack and hindered the development of robust, integrated defense strategies.

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Analysis

The core idea of this research is a hierarchical classification of blockchain security threats and attacks, mapping them directly to the architectural layers of a blockchain system. This model systematically categorizes attacks into five distinct groups → Data Layer (e.g. collision, transaction malleability), Network Layer (e.g. eclipse, defer bomb), Consensus Layer (e.g. Sybil, 51% attacks), Contract Layer (e.g. reentrancy, integer overflow), and Application Layer (e.g. selfish mining, block withholding). The paper illuminates how each layer, despite its inherent security mechanisms, presents unique vulnerabilities.

For instance, the Data Layer’s cryptographic immutability can be challenged by “future” collision attacks with sufficient computational power, while the Contract Layer’s automated logic is susceptible to programming flaws like reentrancy. This layered approach fundamentally differs from previous, often siloed, analyses by providing a comprehensive, architectural lens through which to understand and address the full spectrum of cryptocurrency security challenges.

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Parameters

Core Concept → Layered Blockchain Security Classification
Classification Categories → Data, Network, Consensus, Contract, Application Layers
Key Attacks Analyzed → Collision, Transaction Malleability, Eclipse, Defer Bomb, Sybil, 51%, Reentrancy, Integer Overflow, Selfish Mining, Block Withholding
Authors → Zekai Liu, Xiaoqi Li
Publication Date → March 28, 2025

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Outlook

This layered security framework provides a critical foundation for future research, urging an expansion of attack type scope to include composite attacks and anticipate emerging threats. The analysis highlights the need for more robust security detection models capable of functioning effectively in complex, interactive blockchain environments, moving beyond single-attack detection. Potential real-world applications include the development of more resilient blockchain architectures, enhanced smart contract auditing tools, and adaptive consensus mechanisms that dynamically counter evolving threats. This research opens new avenues for integrating advanced cryptographic tools and secure coding practices across all blockchain layers, fostering a more secure and sustainable decentralized ecosystem within the next 3-5 years.

This research establishes a critical, multi-layered framework for understanding and mitigating blockchain security threats, fundamentally advancing the theoretical basis for robust decentralized system design.

Signal Acquired from → arxiv.org