{"id":26401,"date":"2025-08-22T18:36:50","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T15:36:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/?p=26401"},"modified":"2025-08-22T18:47:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T15:47:10","slug":"qubic-versus-monero-threat-or-theatre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/qubic-versus-monero-threat-or-theatre\/","title":{"rendered":"Qubic versus Monero: threat or theatre?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>On 11 August 2025 the Qubic team <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/qubic-mining-pool-seizes-control-of-monero\">claimed<\/a> it had carried out a 51% attack on the <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/monero-zcash-and-dash-how-the-three-privacy-veterans-are-faring\">Monero<\/a> blockchain, and later named Dogecoin as its next target. To the crypto community such claims sound alarming, since incidents of this sort call a network\u2019s security and the resilience of its economy into question. In practice, the privacy coin\u2019s blockchain suffered no tangible effects, and many <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/researchers-debunk-alleged-51-attack-on-monero\">viewed<\/a> the project\u2019s actions as an attempt at manipulation and a grab for attention.<\/p>\n<p>ForkLog set out to understand why Qubic, which presents itself as a platform for building a free and peaceful AI, resorts to such aggressive methods\u2014and what the attempted attack means for the industry.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A libertarian backbone<\/h2>\n<p>In 2012, on the <a href=\"https:\/\/bitcointalk.org\/index.php?topic=112676.0\">Bitcointalk<\/a> forum, a user with the handle <span data-descr=\"Sergey Ivancheglo's handle, which he still uses on social media\" class=\"old_tooltip\">Come-from-Beyond<\/span> wrote about work on a digital asset free of bitcoin\u2019s flaws\u2014Qubic (Quorum-Based Coin, QBC). His supposedly better analogue of the first cryptocurrency was to differ in the following ways:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>no fees for transfers;<\/li>\n<li>untraceable transactions;<\/li>\n<li>miners\u2019 \u201cproof-of-work\u201d based on internet bandwidth by IP address, without costly hardware;<\/li>\n<li>issuance speed set by a quorum of miners rather than developers;<\/li>\n<li>a visual design of digital assets closer to fiat;<\/li>\n<li>no need to run a resource-hungry full node; each miner is allowed to process a portion of the network;<\/li>\n<li>a significant increase in transaction speed;\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>a greener blockchain with lower electricity costs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The forum greeted the idea with scepticism. The developer was peppered with questions about technical details, especially the quorum-based consensus and protection against a 51% attack. Some participants deemed the project unworkable and, with irony, advised Sergey Ivancheglo to start with the basics of cryptography and blockchain architecture.<\/p>\n<p>Over time the discussion became more substantive: users showed interest in Qubic and began asking about the project\u2019s technical underpinnings. One of Ivancheglo\u2019s first detailed clarifications explained protection against a Sybil attack.<\/p>\n<p>In the same days, Come-from-Beyond published a document on Qubic. It is unavailable at the time of writing, but its <a href=\"https:\/\/bitcointalk.org\/index.php?topic=112676.20\">description<\/a> conveys the gist. It emphasised the network\u2019s \u201cfreedom-centric\u201d nature, which, the author said, should attract libertarians.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Conceptual additions to the network\u2019s architecture followed. One discussion concerned the role of people in the community\u2014those without specialist knowledge should still be able to influence the project\u2019s development.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-qw.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXehpX4gMJuXlHAAZqiWMEPbkkKAVftrmKO0WnBdnHk3zC8l3sHSv6stOAweY8nagRGPJ0HHwek7p-sMlPRDeT2w4E0fQnWutMGCfTvIVAO6aFqhKbXW4v1-8ITQ10HMAdcHPyYMrA?key=026oMwIOYyehKCSPxZ_W0Q\" alt=\"Qubic \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u0438\u0432 Monero: \u0443\u0433\u0440\u043e\u0437\u0430 \u0438\u043b\u0438 \u0441\u043f\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0430\u043a\u043b\u044c\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ivancheglo\u2019s message on the Bitcointalk forum in 2012. Source: Bitcointalk.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Qubic today<\/h2>\n<p>Before launching Qubic, Ivancheglo worked on NXT\u2014one of the first cryptocurrencies with Proof-of-Stake consensus. He later joined IOTA, whose team in 2018 presented IOTA Qubic as a priority track. A year later Ivancheglo left the project and focused on independently developing a decentralised-AI concept\u2014AIGarth based on Qubic.<\/p>\n<p>In April 2022 Qubic\u2019s mainnet went live with the eponymous token. AIGarth was implemented on the new network built on <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/beyond-the-blockchain-useful-mining-and-the-proof%e2%80%91of%e2%80%91useful%e2%80%91work-concept\">Proof-of-Useful-Work<\/a> (PoUW).\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-text-wrappers-keypoints article_keypoints\">\n<p>Proof-of-Useful-Work is a consensus mechanism in which a network\u2019s computing resources are directed to real, practically meaningful tasks, such as training AI models.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>According to internal documents, the startup provides computing resources for outsourced tasks, but use of the technology in the military sphere is excluded by the company\u2019s memorandum.<\/p>\n<p>The architecture allows computation in validators\u2019 RAM. Qubic uses the Quorum-Based Computation (QBC) protocol, supported by 676 compute nodes\u2014more than two-thirds must agree to make decisions. The set of nodes is refreshed each epoch based on a ranking.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This approach has produced record speed\u2014up to 15.5m <span data-descr=\"transactions per second\" class=\"old_tooltip\">TPS<\/span>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-qw.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXcTXZmTbH8r_k3nOhIUI1KtFQ8IzpEloiQJTzGN2naq0pmqJ2-TVN1mOUiyb2KMqWm4fHPa4eIqZybQypKcY2E6UAra_tpJlmX42dbl0FhEjBtZYw6xQ1F_DojYjvslDV34wdZHFg?key=026oMwIOYyehKCSPxZ_W0Q\" alt=\"Qubic \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u0438\u0432 Monero: \u0443\u0433\u0440\u043e\u0437\u0430 \u0438\u043b\u0438 \u0441\u043f\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0430\u043a\u043b\u044c\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Information about the speed record among blockchains certified by CertiK, on Qubic\u2019s home page. Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/qubic.org\/\">Qubic<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The freedom to dominate<\/h2>\n<p>Within its PoUW concept Qubic aimed to implement the first stage of \u201coutsourced computation\u201d and test it in real conditions. The attempt to control Monero\u2019s blockchain began as a proof of concept.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I, like the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Monero?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Monero<\/a> community, am trying to find a countermeasure to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Qubic?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Qubic<\/a>&#8216;s 51% domination. This is very important to the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/cryptocurrency?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#cryptocurrency<\/a> industry because one day we all may face a non-benevolent attack. To spread awareness, first among <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/search?q=%24XMR&#038;src=ctag&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">$XMR<\/a> holders and then among all the\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Come-from-Beyond (@c___f___b) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/c___f___b\/status\/1949755468584226886?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 28, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>On 11 August 2025, at the initial stage of the attack, Qubic split its resources between mining XMR and training AIGarth. At one point the approach was nearly three times more profitable than straight coin mining and drew a stream of computing power.<\/p>\n<p>Initially the Qubic community sold the mined XMR and used the proceeds to buy QUBIC for burning, creating a deflationary effect. Later, after a vote, the reward mechanism was changed: half of the funds continued to be burned, while the other half was distributed to miners as an extra bonus. Activating the <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/decentralisation-on-hold-will-defi-tokens-pay-dividends\">fee switch<\/a> served as a powerful economic incentive that drew participants from other Monero pools, helping to \u201ccapture\u201d the network.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-qw.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXfW8-7iwVC4Di651VAK192ib03DHock2BAlcIT__jbPmYIkBxcBNojLXpS7AlE1tyZA0XSMjg2F11n-FO8kD-uNOPZ-KtinCX5MtrwIwC2oiQt2C1OTUcbxNW6O5l8NT0fPk3zN?key=026oMwIOYyehKCSPxZ_W0Q\" alt=\"Qubic \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u0438\u0432 Monero: \u0443\u0433\u0440\u043e\u0437\u0430 \u0438\u043b\u0438 \u0441\u043f\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0430\u043a\u043b\u044c\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dominance of the Qubic pool in Monero\u2019s hashrate at the time of writing (22 August 2025). Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/miningpoolstats.stream\/monero\">MiningPoolStats<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The events drew a storm of criticism from experts, influencers\u2014and especially the Monero community. Many saw Qubic\u2019s actions as a PR stunt rather than a genuine threat, pointing to discrepancies between the claims and the data. Most observers concluded that the practical effect was minimal, but the campaign grabbed the industry\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n<p>On 13 August Hyperfusion co-founder and CIO Alex Petrov <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/expert-qubics-attack-on-monero-was-more-pr-than-threat\">noted<\/a> the campaign\u2019s effects in a comment to ForkLog:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cQubic noticeably increased its prominence and token price, while the Monero network suffered no material losses.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>According to him, the main goal was to draw attention to both projects. Qubic launched a dual-mining pool where users could mine Monero (XMR) and the native QUBIC token simultaneously. That made it possible to ramp up hashrate quickly and promote the pool thanks to the extra yield from XMR.<\/p>\n<p>Since 25 July, the day the incident was announced, QUBIC has risen by 75% to $0.0000034. At the time of writing the asset trades at $0.0000026.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-qw.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXcNit-Ootf-CzfV7bUSh2O7PHYvjswKk0Ngp_DWR14ECXm298dpHGMf1k9Eet7A_MBISWBK1i2yc_UneiJAGBjZfknBI5kkwW7ARE3VIZjLRvZfGyAgjcmgBQvE0ITbRoKBzKGkYg?key=026oMwIOYyehKCSPxZ_W0Q\" alt=\"Qubic \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u0438\u0432 Monero: \u0443\u0433\u0440\u043e\u0437\u0430 \u0438\u043b\u0438 \u0441\u043f\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0430\u043a\u043b\u044c\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Four-hour chart of the QUBIC\/USDT pair on Bitget. Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/ru.tradingview.com\/chart\/PbFTS4Q2\/?symbol=BITGET%3AQUBICUSDT\">TradingView<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The price of XMR slipped a modest 25% between 25 July and 15 August. At the time of writing the privacy coin has recovered and trades at $265.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-qw.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXedd0gES53z8YCbn1SwUNJD_x5lbC9cYhc5PYSHefgH_9FpuKSfBQyvHYf6sS-cdHAvDdngjMsj180JRC4skf1idSOxvtbxFsR09aTQHakvPZcHpMK1yjMQbEA-XoCKTh1uA0eR6w?key=026oMwIOYyehKCSPxZ_W0Q\" alt=\"Qubic \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u0438\u0432 Monero: \u0443\u0433\u0440\u043e\u0437\u0430 \u0438\u043b\u0438 \u0441\u043f\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0430\u043a\u043b\u044c\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Four-hour XMR price chart on Kraken. Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/ru.tradingview.com\/chart\/PbFTS4Q2\/?symbol=KRAKEN%3AXMRUSDT\">TradingView<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/trends.google.com\/trends\/explore?date=today%205-y&#038;q=monero&#038;hl=ru\">Google Trends<\/a>, Qubic\u2019s actions sent online interest in Monero to a five-year high.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-qw.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXcJ6TFW5RyUfVx0mpRJ5xnGTdjwPTFDmjmqGv_qsWxt9yH_GtpPIh1ydp4BjXS-cgkor8RhcOp-n4kyDfkEfALRaLexwaxwiUSuinOPWvIJwcV2NzMp2inSrIbY8WXiHuCkuUDmMw?key=026oMwIOYyehKCSPxZ_W0Q\" alt=\"Qubic \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u0438\u0432 Monero: \u0443\u0433\u0440\u043e\u0437\u0430 \u0438\u043b\u0438 \u0441\u043f\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0430\u043a\u043b\u044c\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Search interest in Monero. Source: Google Trends.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Searches for PoW also <a href=\"https:\/\/trends.google.com\/trends\/explore?date=today%205-y&#038;q=PoW&#038;hl=ru\">hit<\/a> a three-year high.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-qw.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXfvtQwedQpbUZuhDPHuJk8iaE6YREAOTh9r4H41iQyvOvsHQzK3Yys5JUxQYXsFObGjhUPjgob-BS4w7RUyysCuZ_rMKesXsTalAmmJCkcK4XUhS3D3KyFjxVHkWM1_UcV_ZhFbDw?key=026oMwIOYyehKCSPxZ_W0Q\" alt=\"Qubic \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u0438\u0432 Monero: \u0443\u0433\u0440\u043e\u0437\u0430 \u0438\u043b\u0438 \u0441\u043f\u0435\u043a\u0442\u0430\u043a\u043b\u044c\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Search interest in PoW. Source: Google Trends.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>During the campaign the Monero network continued to operate normally and process transactions without delays. As <a href=\"https:\/\/qubic.org\/blog-detail\/historic-takeover-complete-qubic-miners-now-secure-monero-network\">reported<\/a> on Qubic\u2019s blog, the chief lesson\u2014besides the demonstration of outsourced mining power\u2014was the economic motivation miners can have to attack networks.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow that the test takeover is complete, the core functionality of the Monero network remains unchanged. Its privacy, speed and usability have not been compromised. However, the ultimate goal is for the security of the Monero protocol to be provided by Qubic miners. In that case, rewards will flow through Qubic pools, which will bring higher profits and create a new incentive system for Monero miners,\u201d the blog says.<\/p>\n<p>The project itself was subjected to a <span data-descr=\"distributed denial-of-service\" class=\"old_tooltip\">DDoS<\/span> attack that lasted more than a week. According to Ivancheglo, the team handled it successfully.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">And again the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Qubic?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Qubic<\/a> pool has demonstrated that DDoS attacks isn&#8217;t an efficient countermeasure. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SLouqgK6tL\">pic.twitter.com\/SLouqgK6tL<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Come-from-Beyond (@c___f___b) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/c___f___b\/status\/1956864156885299511?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 16, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>On 17 August the Qubic community <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/qubic-developers-target-dogecoin-for-51-attack\">chose<\/a> Dogecoin as the next \u201ceducational attack\u201d target for mining pools. According to Ivancheglo, it is \u201cjust mining\u201d. He said preparation would take about a month; in the meantime the Qubic pool will \u201ccontinue profitable XMR mining\u201d.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Qubic?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Qubic<\/a> community has chosen <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Dogecoin?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Dogecoin<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/EnevIZUAw5\">pic.twitter.com\/EnevIZUAw5<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Come-from-Beyond (@c___f___b) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/c___f___b\/status\/1957139742388298154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 17, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>After the incident, the privacy-focused cryptocurrency\u2019s community <a href=\"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/news\/monero-community-explores-new-defenses-against-51-attacks\">proposed<\/a> new ways to defend against a 51% attack. Among them:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>localising hardware;\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>switching to merged mining to produce XMR alongside other cryptocurrencies;\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>implementing Dash\u2019s ChainLocks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The fallout will probably be felt across crypto: it could prod PoW networks to harden their defences\u2014or to reorganise. Yet Qubic\u2019s tactics leave a mixed impression: it is one thing to act as \u201cwhite hats\u201d at developers\u2019 request, quite another to attack uninvited. That looks especially contradictory alongside the non-aggression principle\u2014a cornerstone of libertarianism that Ivancheglo invoked when presenting Qubic back in 2012.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What may lie behind Qubic\u2019s motives and the fallout from the attack on Monero.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26402,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"select":"1","news_style_id":"1","cryptorium_level":"","_short_excerpt_text":"Why a useful-work blockchain focused on decentralised AI would seize other networks","creation_source":"","_metatest_mainpost_news_update":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1144],"tags":[1395,1137,513],"class_list":["post-26401","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-longreads","tag-51-percent-attack","tag-cryptocurrency-mining","tag-monero"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"views":"520","promo_type":"1","layout_type":"1","short_excerpt":"Why a useful-work blockchain focused on decentralised AI would seize other networks","is_update":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26401","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26401"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26401\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26403,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26401\/revisions\/26403"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26401"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26401"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26401"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}