> 5B USD for an attack isn't a major barrier though to an actor looking to attack ETH, though. Are you implying that it is?
Well 5B USD may not be an impossible sum for some corporations and nations, but for some actors this is a barrier, yes.
I'm not necessarily trying to say such an attack is out of the question, I'm just trying to elucidate the question of the difference between PoS security and PoW security. I'm not convinced that your argument about the possibility of a covert accumulation of staking power does anything to distinguish PoS from PoW. You could just as easily invest that 5 Billion to build a chip fabrication plant, use that plant to covertly build ASICs, and surprise the Bitcoin network with a 51% attack.
Well 5B USD may not be an impossible sum for some corporations and nations, but for some actors this is a barrier, yes.
I'm not necessarily trying to say such an attack is out of the question, I'm just trying to elucidate the question of the difference between PoS security and PoW security. I'm not convinced that your argument about the possibility of a covert accumulation of staking power does anything to distinguish PoS from PoW. You could just as easily invest that 5 Billion to build a chip fabrication plant, use that plant to covertly build ASICs, and surprise the Bitcoin network with a 51% attack.