[mike_esspe]

In scenario 1 the selfish pool will lose the block in most cases. Modern pools have a lot of connection to the network, so as not to waste mining on orphaned block. It will get the honest block before the selfish pool block.

[sanxiyn]

Should Bitcoin security depend on the assumption of well-connected network?

[usefulcat]

Isn't that assumption already inherent to the design of Bitcoin?

[oakwhiz]

This is interesting since I have found very little information about Bitcoin operating on poorly connected networks (i.e. most nodes are not directly reachable from any given node.) Given the current trend toward internet censorship, I wonder if Bitcoin will have to adapt to such networks as the norm.

[penguat]

It's worthwhile to an attacker to be well-connected. This might lead to a connectedness arms race.