Bitcoin gold, a relatively minor cryptocurrency that split off from the original bitcoin blockchain in late 2017, has suffered a so-called 51% attack resulting in over $72,000 worth of bitcoin gold tokens being double spent. A 51% attack can occur when malicious cryptocurrency miners take control of tokens' blockchain and is the second time it's now happened to bitcoin gold which saw $18 million worth of bitcoin gold stolen in May 2018. Bitcoin gold has been attacked in this way before. "There were two 51% attacks on bitcoin gold’s blockchain last week on January 23rd," the Bitcoin Gold Organization said via Twitter. CoinbaseHowever, shortly after bitcoin gold suffered its 51% attack, the bitcoin blockchain recorded a so-called stale block that resulted in $3 being double spent—before it was corrected by the network.

Source: Forbes January 28, 2020 20:37 UTC