What Is A Blockchain Fork In General?

Описание: Ever wondered what happens when a blockchain "forks"? Think of it like a fork in the road where cryptocurrency networks split and create new paths. There are two main types: soft forks and hard forks.

A soft fork is like a minor software update that's backward-compatible. The new rules are stricter, but older nodes can still participate in the network without upgrading immediately.

A hard fork is much more dramatic - it's a major, backward-incompatible upgrade that completely changes the blockchain's rules. After a hard fork, every node must upgrade to the new software to keep validating transactions.

Here's where it gets interesting: if part of the community disagrees with these changes and decides to stick with the old software, the blockchain can permanently split into two separate chains, each with its own cryptocurrency. This is exactly how Bitcoin Cash was born when it split from Bitcoin.

These forks aren't accidents - they're essential for the evolution of decentralized systems. They allow communities to upgrade technology, patch security vulnerabilities, and sometimes pursue different visions. It's democracy in action within the crypto world, showing how open-source networks adapt and grow over time.