Homework on Soft and Hard Forks - Questions

Blockchain and Bitcoin 101
#2611
  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
    soft fork makes previous valid blocks invalid ( change rules on blocksize for example, by lowering the blocksize), a soft fork requires only 51% of the miners to change the ruleset. A hardfork has as a result that previous blocks that were invalid are valid after the hard fork and require that 100% of the miners agree on the new ruleset.
  2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
    when a softfork does not work (mostly the preferred method), and you want to change concesus
  3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
    Split of the hash power which has a effect on the security of the Blockchain, after the hardfork the chain is vulnerable (for a couple of days approx.) for a reply attack (stealing transactions by hackers). Furthermore the community is also split which has it effect on the chain.
2 Likes
#2612

  1. A hard fork makes invalid blocks valid. A soft fork makes valid blocks invalid.

  2. A change in consensus.

3.Split chain, split community, and split hash power.

2 Likes
#2613

  1. A softfork can be seen as a contraction of rules while a hardfork can be seen as an expansion of rules

  2. To allow more blocks to fit into the consensus rules

  3. There is a risk that not all nodes would update to the hardfork and the hashing power would be split and lessen the network security

2 Likes
#2614

1 The rate of consensus.
2 Improvement by Update with democratic vote.
3 Do not achieve 100% of the consensus, split power and communities.

2 Likes
#2615
  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
  2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
  3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
    A1: A softfork is contraction of the concensus rules and a hardfork is an expansion.
    A2: To update the concensus rules for instant increasing the block size.
    A3: It could cause a split in the hash power resulting in an overall decrease in the network security.
2 Likes
#2616

1: Hard for makes previously invalid block valid, where soft fork makes valid block invalid.
2: If i would want almost everybody follow the rules.
3: Spliting blockchain and hash power split, decreasing security.

2 Likes
#2617
  1. softfork makes previously valid protocol invalid hardfork does the opposite. for softfork you only need more than 50% to perform the update but with hardfork you need 100% or the chain would split.
  2. this could be to improve the protocol in some way altough not everyone might agree. therefore they might not participate
  3. splitting the chain/community
2 Likes
#2618

Homework 1/21/20 Soft & Hard Forks

  1. What is the difference between a soft fork and a hard fork?
    A soft fork is a temporary divergence in the blockchain caused by non-upgraded nodes not following new consensus rules, whereas a hard fork is a permanent divergence in the the block chain, usually occurs when non-upgraded nodes can’t validate blocks created by upgraded nodes that follow newer consensus rules. This hard fork represents a big change to the protocol and changes the way a crypto network functions. An example of this would be Bitcoin vs Bitcoin Cash.

  2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hard fork?
    To force a change in the network, create a new crypto project.

  3. What are some of the risks with performing a hard fork?
    It splits the chain, it splits the community and cuts hash power significantly which reduces security.

1 Like
#2619

  1. Soft fork makes previously valid blocks invalid (contraction), Hard fork makes previously invalid blocks valid (expansion).

  2. clear and defined, allows community to chose which chain to work on.

  3. Splits hash power reducing security, splits the community, makes new currency.

1 Like
#2620

  1. A soft fork will retain the network while a hard fork will split it in two.

  2. If for example there is a serious security issue, then it would not make sense to retain the old blockchain.

  3. It will split the blockchain in two and thereby also the community.

1 Like
#2621

  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
    A soft fork makes previous valid blocks invalid, but keep the chain unsplit.
    A hard fork makes previous invalid blocks valid, but will split the chain.

  2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
    To expand the consensus rule set.
    Present a clear choice.

  3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
    You split the network and the miners end up in different chains, lowering the security of the network.

1 Like
#2622

  1. a soft fork makes previously valid transaction invalid. A hard fork makes previously invalid transactions valid.

  2. a hard fork would be used to democratically change the rules to a blockchain. Requiring 100% adoption to the rule change. Could also create a new currency.

  3. hard fork could split the hash rate and security of blockchain, which would hurt consensus and the ability to verify.

1 Like
#2623

1- both create a split. but hard fork create 2 Blockchains and a softforks is meant to result in one.
2-add a new rule to the code - one path follow the new and other continue along with old path.
3- risk events.

1 Like
#2624

A soft fork might split temporarily but will eventually get resolved. Same with hard forks in the unlikely event that 100% of the nodes update. The difference between the two is that soft fork contracts the rule set and hard fork expands it.

Not sure what you mean by these events? :slight_smile:

#2625

1-Hark forks make changes that don’t work within the current rule set. Soft forks make changes that can work inside current rule set.
2- 1. A change in concensus.
3-The risk is that it reduces the security of the network because of reduction in hash power caused by splitting of the network

1 Like
#2626
  1. The difference is what they make Invalid. A Softfork decreases the maximum block size, this makes some previously valid blocks invalid. A Hardfork Increases the maximum block size, this makes previously invalid blocks valid.
  2. Either to add functionality or to change consensus.
  3. Splitting the community.
1 Like
#2627

  1. A softfork is a contraction of the consensus rule set that make previously valid blocks invalid. A hardfork is exactly the opposite, an expansion of the consensus rule set that makes previously invalid blocks valid.

  2. A radical change in consensus rules

  3. A hard fork might decrease the security of the network because it causes miners to leave a chain and start creating blocks on the fork. More over, if the change is too radical, it might split the intern community.

1 Like
#2628

  1. A hardfork makes a previously invalid block valid
    A softfork makes a previously valid block invalid

  2. Because of a disagreement between the minors / no consensus

  3. Security risk because the hash power is spit
    Split the community

1 Like
#2629
  1. changes with a soft work does mean an update that makes previously valid blocks invalid
    hard forks is an update that makes previously invalid blocks valid
  2. wants to create a new coin, a new change in a system which splits communities
  3. community will not accept and splitting community = lowering hashrate
1 Like
#2630
  1. A soft fork is where previous valid blocks become invalid and a hard for is where previous invalid blocks become valid.
  2. There is a clear upgrade and it’s more democratic.
  3. You could split the chain and the community. Maybe even forking into another coin.
1 Like