If a race of advanced beings wanted to wipe out Earths digital monetary system, how might they go about doing so? Answers from real science and speculative science (pseudo-science) are fine.
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2$\begingroup$ Definitely related: How to take down the internet? $\endgroup$– userCommented Jul 16, 2016 at 20:10
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2$\begingroup$ Hello OJBradford, and welcome to Worldbuilding. Clarify your question please. What exactly do you mean by "take down the system"? What are the consequences you are looking for. That payments shall be impossible? That all current ownership of money shall be erased? That all records of all time shall be wiped out? Please be more specific as to what it is you are looking for. $\endgroup$– MichaelKCommented Jul 16, 2016 at 20:21
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1$\begingroup$ @MichaelKarnerfors - good questions. I jumped the gun in answering, although the point I was trying to make was that any sufficiently advanced race would be able to have their way with us and/or our technology. $\endgroup$– AndreiROMCommented Jul 16, 2016 at 20:40
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$\begingroup$ The earth's monetary system(s) have been destroyed and rebuilt several times in the past few thousand years, which is one reason people like studying old coins. I'd start with that. $\endgroup$– don brightCommented Feb 26, 2019 at 5:56
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3 Answers
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Most digital currency relies on some form of encryption. If the advanced beings possess the computational power to break the encryption they could manipulate the system in many ways, transfering all wealth into their own account, all properly validated.
An interesting story idea, the invading aliens would, according to our own records, own all the Earth's assets.
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"a race of advanced beings" <- you have your answer.
A super computer virus which utterly crushes the software security of those pathetic human worms.
Most major systems are connected to the internet in some way, so the virus can insinuate itself into their networks easily.
For better protected systems which are being housed in bunkers with no connection to the internet (i'm assuming such setups exist) your super-virus is going to have to get a little more creative, but I'm assuming it won't be a problem, or that what a virus can't wreck a well-aimed rock dropped from orbit will.
answered Jul 16, 2016 at 20:18
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2$\begingroup$ "In fiction, all computers, machines, hardware and software are 100 percent compatible and interoperable with each other, and then some. It's as if everything was built according to some universally agreed technical standard." $\endgroup$– userCommented Jul 16, 2016 at 20:27
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$\begingroup$ @MichaelKjörling - any super advanced alien race that made its way across the stars and wants to destroy us most likely posses technology capable of wrecking our information system with little to no effort $\endgroup$ Commented Jul 16, 2016 at 20:31
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2$\begingroup$ Good flippin' lord, I work with such systems and we can barely make our own components talk to each other... and you expect some alien to come flyin' in out of nowhere and do the "We just h4x0rd everything, TOPKEK!!!" trope (as listed by @MichaelKjörling)? $\endgroup$– MichaelKCommented Jul 16, 2016 at 20:34
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1$\begingroup$ @MichaelKarnerfors - "I work with such systems" <- you mean you work with a computer? So do I, I'm a developer, what a coincidence. Yes, I totally expect super advanced aliens to be able to figure out our "super complicated" systems without even batting an eye. In fact, I would expect them to have AI's capable of doing the work on their command without any of them even bothering to try and understand our software or hardware architecture. Or, since they're super advanced beings and all, maybe they will simply mindcontrol millions of people and order them to destroy the computers. $\endgroup$ Commented Jul 16, 2016 at 20:36
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$\begingroup$ @AndreiROM Actually at present my work is with a major financial institution. $\endgroup$– MichaelKCommented Jul 16, 2016 at 20:37
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Do it Project Mayhem Style
In the popular movie Fight Club the narrator meets a man named Tyler Durden and a series of events leads them to become friends and start a club wherepeople fight.
What does this have to do with your scenario? Well, one of Tylers plans is to start project mayhem which involves using explosive soap to blow up buildings. What buildings? The building of the credit card companies, which in turn destroys their servers and information storage, resetting the debt systems
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$\begingroup$ That's the plot of that movie? That is a horrible plan. Off-site data centers and back-ups prevent data loss. That was likely mostly the case when that movie came out, and is more true in the present. $\endgroup$ Commented Jul 17, 2019 at 15:29