Do you think Bitcoin could keep going using offline methods like mesh networks or satellites? Or would it just come to a standstill?
What happens to Bitcoin if the internet goes down for a week?
19 replies 154 views
What's up with this narrative that the internet will suddenly short down one day? Are we being real about this kind of assumption or we are just painting an hypothetical scenarios that's just vague?
Regardless of how strong the bitcoin protocol is, if the internet shots down, most bitcoin holders will momentarily worry about others things first before Thier bitcoin because it sure will affect life in general. We've gone past that age where the internet can completely shut down for so long without an alternative solution popping up. If it's just for a week, bitcoin will still survive through it.
Stop using AI to spam meaningful thread. You wouldn't go far this way, you will get ban or get tagged later.
Depend on where the internet goes off, it's not possible for the entire world to go offline for days without the internet but maybe it can happen in a country where there might be crises but it not stop Bitcoin from working. There are other ways you can send and broadcast Bitcoin transaction without the internet and other nodes will help you relay them to other mining modes.
boss_wizardSenior Member
Posts: 270 · Reputation: 1192
#4Jul 12, 2018, 05:08 PM
It's always these doomsday scenario.
If such thing happened, other sectors will also be affected. But as long as bitcoin's most updated full node is there, everything will be fine until internet comes back again.
Lets be honest though such thing won't happen knowing that recent variety of providers which includes satellite like starlink will make internet hardly go down. This scenario is very unlikely to happen.
Bitcoin will remain in its position (still exist) and will not disappear even if the internet is turned off for a week or more, the reason is because Bitcoin is a digital asset stored in a blockchain (a decentralized data structure that does not depend on an internet connection). What is certain to happen if the internet goes down is that Bitcoin transactions cannot be carried out and the Bitcoin network cannot function. Bitcoin nodes that require an internet connection to validate transactions will also stop operating while they are without internet access, but will resume operation once the internet is back online.
It is natural for you to speculate like this because nothing is impossible in this world, but if you look at it from a broader perspective on technological developments, then what you fear will not happen at least in the near future because the satellite internet network covers the entire region.
The scenario of the internet disappearing is highly unlikely, but if it were to happen, everything would come to a standstill banks, Visa, Mastercard, and the entire global financial system would collapse. In such a situation, society would face far greater problems than Bitcoin itself, as the foundations of modern life and commerce would be disrupted.
However, Bitcoin could still be transferred using offline solutions like mesh networks or satellites, ensuring that value can continue to move even in extreme situations.
The question you asked seems unrealistic. Because. What I think is funny. If the internet on Earth were destroyed and all electrical devices stopped working and the Earth went back to the primitive era, then it might be possible to stop all Bitcoin operations.
I feel like we get this kind of thread now and then. I remember reading one from years ago, heck, I'm sure we have one from a few months back. It's basically talking about how Bitcoin can survive without the internet. I'd like to believe the OPs are asking out of curiosity instead of deliberately trying to cause FUD. They just need to read more to find out previous discussions instead of making new threads.
Bitcoin is not connected to the satellites and this will be the reason why it does not depend on the internet for its connection, what we make use of is the blockchain technology and this is purely decentralized, the internet cannot be shut down if the satellite is not turned off, and i don't also see the reason to why a satellite should go off, but that aside, bitcoin network solely depends on the blockchain technology and this cannot be affected by any way whether the internet was shut down or not, because it does not depend on it.
cryptopixelMember
Posts: 39 · Reputation: 190
#10Jul 16, 2018, 07:31 AM
Yeah why not? Bitcoin will not get erased with those occurrence and it will still exist on our wallets. Its like it will enter on deep freeze state because no one can make a transactions since as you said internet is gone said timeline you have mentioned.
The only thing will stop is the transaction because the internet is gone for one week. So for sure once internet goes back then it will return to its current value on when it stops.
But this thing is impossible to happen and don't see those scenarios would come.
quantumbearHero Member
Posts: 411 · Reputation: 2212
#11Jul 18, 2018, 06:07 PM
There are wallet cables that is providing the Internet. Also there are satellites that are providing Internet, example is the commonly know Starlink. I do not think there is anything that will affect these two means of Internet. Anything that affects the two will affect the world in my opinion.
Blockstream satellite exist. So if some miner and mining pool actually utilize those, some blocks will be created within a week. By the way, many satellite offer internet connection service. So your hypothetical scenario have flaws.
You should see recent thread created by OP, https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;threads;u=1341921;sa=showPosts. I believe OP really love talking about hypothetical scenarios.
Yeah, it's an unrealistic question, and it has been asked so many times here.
IDK how it works, but based on what I remember from the thread that discussed this topic before, if the internet goes down, there's an alternative that still allows Bitcoin to function. By using radio waves that can be sent or received, Bitcoin transactions and related blockchain data can still be transmitted.
Maybe you can research this further this and at least Ive given you an idea already.
IMO, it's unlikely that the internet connection will shut down worldwide.
We now have an internet provider based on satellite, and that's Starlink.
You can have internet access everywhere, even in remote areas.
No, it can survive still and continue running. But there are challenges of course namely speed, coverage and privacy. If we use mesh networks, it will not have the same bandwidth as a global internet which would make it slower to use and will even have difficulty trying to cover a huge area. If some are in an area with low mesh capabilities, it might affect the entire network. While using satellites may expose certain blocks or transactions that is tied to a specific location or at least a general area that could sacrifice our privacy. If anyone has some right equipment they would be able to trace someone easily.
lynx_rocketSenior Member
Posts: 232 · Reputation: 1450
#15Jul 20, 2018, 05:30 PM
There are way too many solutions available worldwide to win if this type of scenario plays out, satellites now provide even more stable Internet than the normal service providers that we are all used to.
We also have a lot of Esim providers, you don't even need a sim card to insert into your phone before you can access the Internet. To be realistic this is never going to happen, there are so many countries in the world, even if a new world war happens some countries will be left out.
nonce_sigmaFull Member
Posts: 117 · Reputation: 612
#16Jul 22, 2018, 05:23 PM
Bitcoin could still exist if the internet went down for a week. Transactions would pretty much pause since nodes & miners couldnt talk to each other but the blockchain itself wouldnt vanish. Once the internet came back the network would sync up again & process any pending transactions. So it would survive but people wouldnt really be able to use it during that time.
h0dler2016Member
Posts: 6 · Reputation: 84
#17Jul 22, 2018, 05:48 PM
Even if world war 111 begins the Internet will still be active, it might not be active on your own environment but it will be active in other areas in the world. And Bitcoin will still exist even if world war 3 begins.
That's correct, so many advancements have been made and E-sim can be used without a service provider. And if in the future any war begins people with influence and huge money can travel to peaceful countries and send there time there till everything's good.
I think that if something like happens in the internet, then naturally Bitcoin transactions will be stopped because Bitcoin runs through the internet. Now the point is that even if such a story is imaginary, it is not possible in reality. Because the internet will not be stopped simultaneously worldwide. If it happens one or two countries then it will be running in most of the countries. But the main thing is that if the internet is down for 7 days, there will be no transactions for 7 days, and then when the internet comes back, transactions will start again. There is nothing to worry about.
Very likely that it will still exist. The internet shutting down won't completely erase the bitcoin network so, it will be stopped for a moment but will remain there.
That's why even if there will an internet interruption for a week. Transactions will be stuck and it will be back once again if any of those mesh networks or other solutions will make it back there to proceed.
Satellite technology is already there and it's not only Elon's starlink provides it.
If the Internet lost globally, I think this planet would be in a very servere situation and our life is more important than our bitcoins or the Internet.
Bitcoin blockchain is Proof of Work and Bitcoin miners work by mining with Internet connection is mandatory for connecting to other nodes and finding new blocks, confirming transactions. Without Internet, PoW mining can not work and no new Bitcoin blocks will be found, no new Bitcoin transactions will be confirmed. Fortunately Bitcoin don't disappear and bitcoins you have will stay in your non custodial wallets.
When Internet resumes, PoW mining resumes, new blocks will be found and you will be able to move your bitcoins again.
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