Hard Fork
A hard fork is a radical change to the protocol of a blockchain network that makes previously invalid blocks and transactions valid, or vice-versa. It requires all nodes or users to upgrade to the latest version of the protocol software. Put simply, a hard fork is a permanent divergence from the previous version of the blockchain, and nodes running previous versions will no longer be accepted by the newest version. This essentially creates a fork in the blockchain, one path which follows the new, upgraded blockchain, and one path which continues along the old path. Generally, after a short period of time, those on the old chain will realize that their version of the blockchain is outdated or irrelevant and quickly upgrade to the latest version.
History of Hard Forks
The concept of a hard fork was first introduced in the Bitcoin protocol in 2010. It was used to resolve a dispute in the community over how Bitcoin should be developed. Since then, hard forks have been used to create new versions of Bitcoin, such as Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin Gold. Hard forks have also been used to implement new features and protocols in other blockchain networks, such as Ethereum, Litecoin, and Zcash.
Comparison Table
| Type of Fork | Definition |
|---|---|
| Soft Fork | A soft fork is a change to the software protocol where only previously valid blocks/transactions are made invalid. |
| Hard Fork | A hard fork is a change to the software protocol where previously invalid blocks/transactions are made valid. |
Summary
In summary, a hard fork is a radical change to the protocol of a blockchain network that makes previously invalid blocks and transactions valid, or vice-versa. It requires all nodes or users to upgrade to the latest version of the protocol software. Hard forks have been used to create new versions of Bitcoin, such as Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin Gold, as well as to implement new features and protocols in other blockchain networks, such as Ethereum, Litecoin, and Zcash. For more information about hard forks, you can visit websites such as Investopedia, CoinDesk, and Bitcoin Magazine.
See Also
- Soft Fork
- Blockchain
- Bitcoin
- Ethereum
- Litecoin
- Zcash
- Mining
- Protocol
- Node
- Consensus
