51% Attack
Attack where entity controls majority of hash rate.
Why it matters
51% Attack matters because it affects financial interpretation, product decisions, and industry communication.
How it works
51% Attack is commonly explained through its core definition and the practical example used in the glossary.
Risks and pitfalls
A common mistake is to use 51% Attack without understanding its operational and regulatory context.
Regional notes
51% Attack may vary across payment rails, regulations, and market practices.
Related terms
3D Secure
Security protocol for online cards.
Account Abstraction
Smart contracts as wallets.
Account Updater
A service that refreshes expired or reissued card details for recurring billing merchants.
Acquirer
Bank processing payments for merchant.
Algorithmic Trading
Trading using automated algorithms.
API
Application Programming Interface.
Primary sources
Stripe
2026-03-15Stripe: Payment tokenization 101
Used for payment tokenization, network token, and account updater context.
Stripe
2026-03-15Stripe: Merchant of record
Primary source for merchant-of-record terminology.
Stripe
2026-03-15Stripe: What is a payment facilitator?
Primary source for payfac models and platform payments.
Reviewed
3/15/2026