Could Bitcoin be shut down? Maybe but it would be extremely difficult.
Bitcoin even if it shuts down today can be revived any day simply because it has a block chain database. It is stupid to seize all computers and after a few hours it will become operational again since it is automatic that the Bitcoin client is required to synchronize with the latest block. It will then synchronize and everything will be operational again. It can be killed but it can be revived immediately because it has a memory to begin with. From Genesis block up until the latest block. So, practically speaking it cannot be killed.
100%. Tens of thousands of nodes (the exact number isn't known because they're over TOR) each with a complete copy of the blockchain.
I researched a certain DAG - directed acrylic graph - chain and in addition to many many issues this is one of them. The developers themselves have said that individual nodes would only have 3 days worth of history. That's because the amount of chain data is so large it would be continually shed... too large for home-non commerical nodes to keep.
Bitcoin it's always all there from the beginning.
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