Amidst widespread computer outages caused by a faulty software update from global cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, Bitcoin operations remain unaffected due to their decentralized nature and independence from centralized providers and infrastructure.
Late Thursday night, CrowdStrike’s security tools for Microsoft-based systems malfunctioned, bringing down major networks, including government offices, banks, and airlines. This incident resulted in the dreaded blue screen of death across countless systems.
CrowdStrike released a statement on Friday, addressing the issue: “We are actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted. This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated, and a fix has been deployed.”
SunnySide Digital founder and CEO Taras Kulyk explained that Bitcoin mining operations were unaffected due to their reliance on Linux-based frameworks. “Bitcoin keeps hashing because most miners use Linux-based systems,” Kulyk told Decrypt. “Banks globally have been shutting down because of this server issue, but Bitcoin continues to function seamlessly.”
SunnySide Digital, launched in 2021, specializes in hardware and services for data centers and digital mining infrastructure. Kulyk emphasized the importance of decentralization and the use of Linux for privacy and resilience against centralized system failures.
While CrowdStrike’s stock dropped 11.10%, the blockchain industry remained stable, with the cryptocurrency market up 4.6% for the day. Bitcoin is currently trading at $67,224, according to CoinGecko.
CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz assured customers of full transparency and commitment to preventing similar incidents in the future. “Nothing is more important to me than the trust and confidence our customers and partners have in CrowdStrike,” he stated.