Homework on Soft and Hard Forks - Questions

Blockchain and Bitcoin 101
#2851

  1. A soft fork makes previous valid blocks invalid. Hard forks make previous invalid blocks valid.

  2. You would need a hard fork if you were to upgrade the consensus rule set.

  3. You can cause a split within the community due to there not being an agreement for example Bitcoin Cash and SV are Hard Forks.

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#2852
  1. A hard fork makes a previously invalid block valid by expanding the rules while a soft block makes a previously valid block invalid by contracting the rules.
  2. You may be forced into a hard fork if you needed to increase the size of the block.
  3. Some of the risks associated with a hard fork would be splitting the chain, community, and hash power
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#2853
  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?

A Hard Fork is an update that makes previously invalid blocks valid (Expansion of rule set). A Soft Fork is an update that makes previously valid blocks invalid (Contraction of rule set).

  1. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?

Itā€™s a clear update because you need 100% of the network to update. Itā€™s also democratic.

  1. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?

Split the chain, split the community, create a new currency, the hash power is split which reduces security.

1 Like
#2854

Homework on Soft and Hard Forks - Questions

  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?

Answers :

1/ Hardfork makes change that donā€™t work with the current rule set , view as Expansion Rule Set.
Softfork makes change that already work with the current rule set , View as Contraction Rule Set .

2/ The reasons why you would like to implement a Hardfork is that you can add some new functionality into the blockchain that cannot be done with the current set rule.

3/The Hardfork can split a community that are not agreeing with the Rules change into the Blockchain.
It risk to split the hash power too and lowering the security of the network.

1 Like
#2855
  1. A hardfork makes previously invalid blocks as valid, while a softfork makes previously valid blocks as invalid.
  2. You want a hardfork, for example, to create a new currency.
  3. A hardfork splits the community. A hardfork reduces the hash power on both branches, thus itā€™s a security vulnerability.
1 Like
#2856
  • What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
    A Soft fork makes previously valid blocks are made invalid whereas a hard fork makes previously invalid blocks become valid in the expansion. e.g. BTC -> BCH
  • What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
    If you want to expand the protocols of the blockchain, for example increasing the block size
  • What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
    A hard fork needs all nodes to update otherwise is can reduce hash power and split communities.
1 Like
#2857

A SOFT FORK is a contraction of the rule set. therefore the not updated nodes will accept blocks from updated miners/nodes and there wonā€™t be a fork if the majority has updated to the new protocol.

A HARD FORK is an expansion of the rule set, therefore not updated nodes will not accept
new rule (that were invalid before) blocks, so everyone has to update the protocol to avoid creating a fork.

2ā€¦itā€™s democratic decision with clear consensus, that does confuse or force the community to follow imposed rules

3ā€¦not to divide the community and the blockchain.

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#2858

1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?

A hardfork is an update to the protocol that makes a block valid whereas, prior to the update, it was an invalid block. It can be viewed as an expansion.

A softfork is the opposite to a hardfork. It is an update that makes invalid what would have previously been a valid block. It can be viewed as a contraction.

2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?

Some of the reasons to do a hard fork include :

  • Changing value of valid block size

  • Changing rules to what constitutes a valid transaction

3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?

Some of the risks with performing a hardfork include :

  • Splitting the blockchain

  • Splitting the community

  • Splitting hash power of the network

  • Reduced security of the network

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#2859

  1. The primary difference between a soft fork and a hard fork is that the former makes previously valid blocks invalid and the former does the opposite.

  2. It has a clear update and for some, it would mean democratic.

  3. It splits the chain and splits the community by doing it. It also reduces security as hash power is split.

1 Like
#2860

  1. Soft fork is an update that makes previously valid blocks invalid (a contraction of rule set). Where Hard fork is an update that makes previously invalid blocks valid (a expansion of rule set).

  2. Some reasons you would want a hard fork is to make a clear change to to the rule census that expands on rule set. Such as increasing the block size.

  3. Some risk with performing a hard fork are that you split the chain, split the community, hash the power and weaken the security.

1 Like
#2861

  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
    soft fork: prev valid blocks valid
    hard fork: prev invalid blocks valid

  2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
    expansion of ruke set

  3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
    Split chain, Split community

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#2862

1)Softfork means updates that make previously valid blocks invalid i.e contraction of rule set and hardfork means updates that make previously invalid blocks valid i.e expansion of rule set
2)Bcz it is clear and democratic
3)Hard forks can result into split chain, split community and split hash power which make network less secure

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#2863
  1. A hardfork splits the chain and splits the community. Its updating makes previously invalid block valid. The softfork does not have chain split and keeps the community together. Its update makes previously valid block invalid.
  2. When new functions and features are added to the blockchain protocol to improve it.
  3. While the split takes place, investors need to keep their coins in their wallets and later decide which chain they with to continue with and whether there are any free giveaways. Sometimes doubted spending issues might arise.
1 Like
#2864
  • What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
    Hardfork makes previously invalid black valid and may expands the rules set while soft forks makes previously valid blacks invalid (contraction of the rule set)
  • What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
    To split a the chain, make a new currency, make some spacre for new miners.
  • What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
  • Less security, lose part of the community and have less miners.
1 Like
#2865
  1. Softfork contracts the set of rules and a hardfork expands the set of rules.
  2. A change in the vision and consensus.
  3. Hashing power gets split making the network less secure.
1 Like
#2866
  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?

softfork makes previously valid blocks invalid - contraction
hardfork makes previously invalid blocks valid - expansion

  1. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?

if we dont agree with the current update we do hardfork and create new currency with its own set of rules (new goals, allows for new miners)

  1. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?

reducing network security, it also splits the community

2 Likes
#2867

  1. A soft fork is a change to the software protocol where previously valid transactions are made invalid. This kind of fork requires only a majority of miners upgrading to enforce the new rules. Hard fork is an update that makes previously invalid transactions valid, and requires all nodes to upgrade to the latest version of the protocol.

  2. To help patch security holes in protocols, introduce new features or better functionality, change mining rewards or transaction fees, as well as the speed and scale at which a blockchainā€™s transactions are validated.

3.There will now be a split chain and split hash power, meaning less network security, since half of miners are on one chain and the rest on the other.

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#2868

  1. A soft fork will make previous blocks invalid
    A hard fork will make previous invalid block valid that will cause the split of the chain

  2. The need for an update that will make blocks that before were invalid valid: maybe the network becomes overused and thereĀ“s a need to increase the blocksize

  3. Miners and the community might not accept it and so the chain will be split in 2, hash power will decrease.

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#2869
  1. Hardfork makes previously invalid blocks valid and softfork makes previously valid blocks invalid.
  2. Hardforks pros are new currency in terms of new opportunity and clear democratic process.
  3. Risks of hardforks are splitting the chain, splitting the community, new currency in terms of reducing security.
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#2870
  1. Soft - Backward compatible rules (rules set contraction). Discards the old chain
    Hard - Non-backward compatible rules (rule expansion). Splits into two new chains
  2. Perform significant upgrades to the network that wouldnā€™t be possible with a soft fork.
  3. Splitting the community in two.
1 Like