Homework on Soft and Hard Forks - Questions

Blockchain and Bitcoin 101
#3232
  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
    A hardfork update makes previously invalid blocks valid, while a softfork update makes previously valid blocks invalid.
  2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
    Expanding the rules of blockchain, new currency.
  3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
    A hardfork splits hash power, therefore decreasing security of the network, splitting the community and splitting the chain.
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#3233

If 100% of nodes upgrade then there is no split. A good example of this is Monero that has constant hard forks in order to remain asic resistant and has not ended up splitting because of it. :slight_smile:

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#3234

Answers:

  1. Hard fork splits the chain, whereas in soft fork there is no split.
  2. The network participants might want to expand the consensus rules in order to obtain scalability.
  3. As the disagreeing miners leave, the hash power decrease in the network and community splits.
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#3235

  1. A Soft Fork will allow nodes that didn’t update to keep using the network, as long as they respect the new rules of the protocol. And Soft Forks don’t result in two blockchains.
    On Hard Forks, the nodes will have to update to the new version or they won’t be able add new transactions to the blockchain.

  2. In order to alter or add new functionalities on then current protocol. And to create two blockchains.

  3. As the hash power splits in two, it also reduces the security of the network.

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#3236
  1. A hard fork makes previous blocks that were invalid valid. So, for example, each block has the rule to be 1 MB or less. If an update is added to the bitcoin network which says that from now on, the network will accept blocks that are 10 mb or less, then the blocks that were ignored before and were between 1.01 MB to 10 mb will be accepted as legit blocks to append.

On the other hand, soft forks are the complete opposite. They make previous valid blocks invalid. If the rule is that the limit of block size is 1 mb and then with the next network update that changes to 100 KB per block, then this is a soft work. It is called soft fork because

  1. Consensus rules change

  2. Hash power split which lowers the security of the network and split of the community for the ones refusing to adher to the new updates as well as of that of the chain.

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#3237
  1. A hardfork is caused by an update that makes previously invalid blocks valid. A softfork is caused by an update that makes previously valid blocks invalid. A hardfork expands the rules for valid blocks while a softfork reduces the rules for valid blocks.
  2. You would do a hardfork if you wanted to expand the rules for a valid block and change the consensus protocol.
  3. Some of the risks or disadvantages of a hard fork are: it can split the chain, the community and the hash power.
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#3238

  1. HF Expansion of ruleset: makes previous invalid blocks valid.
    SF Contraction of ruleset: makes previous valid blocks invalid.

  2. Capacity increase adding functionality to BC that is not done under current specs.

  3. Split Hash power lowering security of BC.

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#3239

  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
    A hard fork is an expansion of the rules set. A soft fork is a contraction of the rules set.

  2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
    To create a new currency, in a clear and democratic way.

  3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
    Hashpower gets split between the forks, reducing overall security.

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#3240
  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?

A hardfork will include previously invalid transactions which will become valid. whereas softfork will discard previously valid transactions to then become invalid.

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

To expand the rule set. so you can split from the community and follow your own ideas.

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

You will split the chain and split the community meaning there will be less hash power as this would of been split

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#3241

1- A hard fork update expands the rule set, while a soft fork update contracts the rule set. A hard fork usually splits the chain and in turn the community while a soft fork does not.

2- One reason to do a hard fork would be to create a new currency. Also, a hard fork lets you follow your own ideas and not being restricted to the community.

3- Mainly, a hard fork would split the chain and in turn split the community. This would also affect security and network power because there are less users or less nodes.

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#3242

  1. A soft fork update makes previously valid blocks invalid and a hard fork update makes previously invalid blocks valid.

  2. A hard fork update is clear and democratic.

  3. A split chain would occur leading to a split in community and a split hash power would result in less security.

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#3243

Difference between hard fork and a soft fork is that hard fork in its essence is expansion of rules and soft fork is a contraction of rules meaning that hard fork will make blocks valid that were considered to be invalid prior to update ( by including more variables) and soft fork will make blocks that were previously valid invalid (by excluding more variables)

Hard fork is preferred when a clear update is desired.
The risks of hard fork update include community splitting where group A (nodes, miners, wallet holders) will support one chain and group B will support un-updated part of chain.

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#3244
  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
    soft fork makes previously valid blocks invalid, and hard fork makes previously invalid blocks valid.
  2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork? to create a new coin. fix bugs in protocol.
  3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork? splitting the community. Replay attacks.
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#3245 
What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?

softfork makes previously valid block infalid while hardfork makes previously invalid blocks valid

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

If you want to do updates or change the rules of the blockchain.

What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?

Once you perform a hardfork you can decrease the security as the chain gets split as there is a reduction in hash power.

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#3246

  1. A softfork change the rule set of the network to makes previous valid block invalid and the hardfork is the update of bitcoin for making previous invalid block valid.

  2. For making a clear update on the network. To make another cryptocurrency on your blockchain.

  3. You can split the community so that one part of the network will work on adding block the old version of the bitcoin and another on the new one. That will split the hash rate of bitcoin and making it less secure.

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#3247

  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
    with a soft fork only one blockchain becomes valid as miners adapt the update with a hard fork both old and new blockchains can exist side by side which would then require a software update to work by new rules.

  2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
    Giving expanded outcomes to its consensus.

  3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
    Dividing the hash power which can result in less security to the blockchain.

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#3248

  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork? A hard fork makes makes previously invalid blocks valid, whereas a soft fork makes valid blocks invalid.

  2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork? To make an improvement to the blockchain protocol across a majority of the mining nodes. Disagreement in the mining community to support a change to the blockchain protocol.

  3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork? It may divide the mining community and create a split chain. Also a spilt chain reduces the hash power and reduces blockchain security.

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#3249
  1. Soft Forks make previously valid blocks invalid. Hard forks make previously invalid blocks valid.
  2. You would want to do a hardfork if a change was needed in the blockchain protocols.
  3. Hardforks are risky because not all miners will accept the change. This might reduce the number of miners, which decreases security.
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#3250

  1. Softfork makes previously valid block invalid and hardfork makes previously invalid block valid.

  2. To improve scalability of the chain by increasing block size.

  3. A split in the community , reduction in hash rate which will weaken security.

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#3251

1- Soft forks updates, makes previously VALID blocks INVALID. And the Hard forks updates makes previously INVALID blocks VALID.
2- To do an improvement to the blockchain protocol across a majority of the mining nodes. It does an expansion of the rules.
3- You will split the community and the chain. Hash power split will reduce the security.

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