In the fast-paced world of cryptocurrency, where memes and money collide, a recent tweet from @pixOnChain has set the community ablaze. The post, which reads like a dramatic play-by-play, details how Qubic, an up-and-coming AI-focused blockchain project, allegedly swooped in and grabbed control of Monero's mining network. For those new to the scene, Monero (XMR) is a top privacy coin valued at around $6 billion, designed to keep transactions anonymous and untraceable—something that hasn't always sat well with regulatory bodies.
The tweet paints a vivid picture: Qubic starts mining XMR, lures miners with juicier rewards, floods the hashrate (that's the total computing power securing the network), and boom—crosses the dreaded 51% threshold. This means they could potentially rewrite transaction history, double-spend coins, or even censor transactions. All for about $100k a day, according to the post. Then, after a 7% price dip in XMR, Qubic pulls back, teasing that they "chose not to take over… yet." It's pure game theory drama, and it questions whether the era of "too big to attack" is truly over.
But let's break this down. What exactly happened? According to reports from CoinDesk, Qubic, founded by IOTA co-founder Sergey Ivancheglo (aka Come-from-Beyond or CFB), demonstrated their "Useful Proof of Work" (UPoW) by dominating Monero's hashrate. They offered miners better incentives, leading to a surge where Qubic controlled over 51%—some say up to 65%—of the network's power. This allowed them to perform a six-block reorganization, essentially rewriting a small part of the blockchain's history as a proof-of-concept.
Qubic positions this as a helpful demo, showcasing how their platform can secure networks while training AI models during idle times. Their official blog post hails it as history in the making, emphasizing that Monero mining is just a side gig on their path to Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). However, the Monero community isn't buying the "friendly takeover" narrative. Voices like @tuxpizza in the replies call it propaganda, insisting Qubic never hit 51% and disabled API reporting to fake the numbers. Security firms like Halborn confirm a reorg occurred but debate if it qualifies as a full-blown attack.
The fallout? XMR's price took a hit, dropping around 12% as shown in the chart, amid fears of vulnerability. Yet, Qubic halted operations quickly, claiming they could have done more but chose mercy. This has sparked wild speculation—@pixOnChain wonders if "three-letter agencies" (think FBI or CIA) are involved, given Monero's reputation for being used in illicit activities due to its privacy features.
For meme token enthusiasts, this saga is a reminder that even established coins aren't immune to clever exploits. Qubic's $QUBIC token, often hyped in meme circles for its AI ambitions, saw a buzz from the event, proving how narratives can drive volatility. It highlights the importance of decentralization and hashrate distribution in proof-of-work systems. If a smaller player like Qubic can rattle a giant like Monero, what does that mean for emerging meme coins on chains like Solana or Base?
As the dust settles, the crypto space is left pondering: Was this a genuine threat or a brilliant marketing stunt? Either way, it underscores the evolving battle between innovation and security in blockchain. Keep an eye on Qubic's updates and Monero's community responses for the next chapter in this unfolding story. In the world of memes and tokens, drama like this is what keeps things exciting.