Summary
The internet is cryptocurrency’s lifeline, but what if it didn’t have to be?
So, could cryptocurrencies exist without the internet?
All blockchain technology(the immutable database with a record of all cryptocurrency transactions) exists on the internet.
What Would Happen to Crypto if There Was No Internet?
It’s difficult to imagine a world where the internet breaks down in its entirety.
But assuming it happened, crypto would be brought to a standstill.
Cryptocurrencies depend on the internet to confirm new transactions and add them to the blockchain distributed across nodes.
Removing this system would mean individual nodes couldn’t coordinate globally to mine new blocks.
Some cryptocurrencies may have the resilience to function for a short period without the internet using other technologies.
Since it has never happened, we cannot be certain they’d work without a total internet blackout.
In addition, the consequence of an internet shutdown is a fragmented blockchain.
All these alternative technologies would have to cooperate on one data pipe to have a single functional blockchain.
Lastly, alternative technologies' technical limitations will limit crypto transactions' reach and reliability.
So, it’s not a major concern for the crypto development community.
Or, just start using cash.
