Homework on Soft and Hard Forks - Questions

Blockchain and Bitcoin 101
#3793
  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
    HF is the result of a rule change that expands the consensus set of rules.
    LF is the result of a rule change that contracts the consensus set of rules
  2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
    An increase in block size
  3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
    Split community, Split coin
1 Like
#3794
  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?

Softfork makes previous valid blocks invalid. Rule set gets smaller.

Hardfork makes previous invaid blocks valid. Rule set extracts.

Ina softfork the new blocks is still produced within the previous ruleset, a fork will not necesserily take place. In a hardfork the new blocks are not produced within the previous ruleset, a fork will most likely take place.

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

To update the consenus of the ruleset, if the current ruleset is not optimal for the future an update can take place as a solution to that challenge.

  1. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
  • Splits the chain, creating a fork
  • Split the community
  • Causing hash power to split, decreasing the security of the network
1 Like
#3795

  1. Hardforks occur when thereā€™s a clear update (expansion) to consensus rules; making previously invalid blocks valid, splitting the chain definitely.
    While softforks occur when thereā€™s a contraction of the consensus rules making previously valid blocks invalid, chain doesnā€™t split.

  2. Hardforks are done when nodes no longer agree on consensus rules; when a new currency is being created. e.g Bitcoin - Bitcoin cash.

  3. Risks include; reduced security of the network due to splitting of hash power. Community is also split.

1 Like
#3796
  1. A hard fork update is an expansion of the rule set and previous invalid blocks are valid where a soft fork is a contraction of the rule set and valid blocks are now invalid.
  2. A hard fork would be done if consensus needed to be changed.
  3. The risk would be split hash power and a less secure network and a split chain.
1 Like
#3797

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

  2. You would want a hard fork to fix bugs or improve performance of network.

  3. A hard fork can split the community and degrade confidence in the network

1 Like
#3798

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

  2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
    When consensus rule change and network advocates for a clear and democratic update and a new currency.

  3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
    By performing a hardfork there is a split in the hash power which reduces the overall security of the original chain.

1 Like
#3799

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

Hard fork:

  • It makes previously invalid blocks valid (rule set is expanded).

  • All the miners need to update to avoid the fork

Soft fork:

  • It makes previously valid blocks invalid (rule set is tightened).

  • More than half of the miners (hash power) need to update to avoid a fork.

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

  • Itā€™s a clear update.

  • Itā€™s a more democratic update.

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

  • The blockchain looses hash power/security.

  • It splits the community.

1 Like
#3800

  1. a soft fork invalidates previously validated data whereas a hard fork does the opposite.

  2. A hard fork is useful when you want to provide nodes the option to choose between the two forks.

  3. Unless 100% consensus is achieved, that blockchainā€™s community would split into 2 and the hash power of the original blockchain would decrease since some of the miners would migrate to the forked blockchain.

1 Like
#3801

  1. A Hard fork expands the rules of the protocol and a soft fork shrunks it

  2. To perform a clear update or maybe you want to create a new currency like bitcoin cash or etc

  3. If just a few nodes donā€™t make the update the chain gets split and the unupdated nodes work on a different chain now

1 Like
#3802

1) The difference between a hard and soft fork is:
A hard fork is an update that makes previously invalid blocks valid by changing the consensus rules so that a larger block size is now accepted onto the blockchain.
A soft fork invalidates previously valid blocks by updating consensus rules to decrease allowable block size.
2) What is a reason for creating a hard fork?
Create a new currency, create performance improvements that improve the network.
3) Some risks that come with a hardfork are:
Decreasing trust and security of the currency, can split the mining community, will cause some transactions to have to transfer from one chain to the other.

1 Like
#3803

  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
    A hardfork is an update that makes previously invalid transactions valid. It is an update which expands the ruleset.
    A softfork is an update that makes previously valid transactions invalid. It is an update which contracts the ruleset.

  2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
    When most people think a clear and clean update is obviously necessary for the blockchain.

  3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
    The hashpower will be split among the old and new chain, which may lead to security concerns.

1 Like
#3804
  1. soft fork makes previously valid blocks invalid and hard fork makes previously invalid blocks valid
  2. If you want to reach new consensus and create the new currency, its more democratic because miner can choose which side of the fork to pick
  3. you need to reach full consensus, it spilts community and can negatively affect vale of the token.
1 Like
#3805

  1. A hard fork expands the ruleset, a soft fork contracts the ruleset

  2. clear split, democratic, (new currency)

  3. hash power split leads to less security, split community

1 Like
#3806
  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
    A hardfork makes previously invalid blockchains valid and expands the ruleset.
    A softfork makes previously valid blockchains invalid and contracts the ruleset.
  2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
    To perfom a clear update to the system and you can create a new currency.
  3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
    It can split the community and decrease the hash power and therefore the security of the network.
1 Like
#3807

  1. the softfork is a contraction rule set, where previous valid blocks now are invalid, and it doesnt need the 100% of the network updated.

  2. You probably are disagree with the updates, ie, the new consensus. But, it is clear and democratic

3.After the update of consensus rules, and if you dont have 100% of the network, then you have a hardfork, that split the chain, the community and the hash power. This can make the network weaker.

1 Like
#3808

  1. A hard fork is expansive in that it is an update that makes previously invalid blocks valid, while a soft fork in contracting in that it makes previously valid blocks invalid.

  2. A hardfork is a clear update that may become necessary where there is a strong difference of opinion in the community that has a significant amount of support.

  3. A hardfork can split the community, split the currency and reduce th hashing power, which negatively affects the security of the blockchain.

1 Like
#3809

1.Soft forks make previously valid blocks invalid, while hard forks do the opposite, making invalid blocks valid. Hard forks are an expansion to the rule, while a soft fork is a contraction to the rule.
2. To change the concensus.
3. A hardfork would split the community, weaken the hash power, and make the network less secure.

1 Like
#3810
  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
  • Hard forks makes previously invalid blocks valid, and soft forks makes previously valid blocks invalid
  1. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
  • clarity and distinction of rules
  1. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
  • reduced security in the network with lowered hash rate due to the split in fork and community.
1 Like
#3811
  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?

A soft fork is a contraction of the ruleset (like lowering allowed block size) making previously valid blocks invalid, while a hard fork is an expansion, making previously invalid blocks valid.
For a hard fork update the entire network must update to avoid splitting the network while in a soft fork update only a majority needs to update to avoid splitting.

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

You can do a hard fork if you want to create a new cryptocurrency with different rulesets from the previous one.
It could also be that the community agrees that an expansion of the ruleset is necessary and that there is general agreement to make a hard fork update.

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

You could easily split the blockchain and the community and create a new separate cryptocurrency.

1 Like
#3812

  1. What is the difference between a soft fork and a hard fork?
    Hard forks updates makes significant changes at an expansion level of the consensus rules, hard forks makes previous invalid blocks valid;
    All nodes or majority must update in order to accept new rules and make their blocks valid, so this way to avoid a hard fork, when nodes do not update they will have different consensus rules, therefor blocks mined without the update, will not be accepted by the network within the new current consensus rules and a hard fork will occur.
    Soft forks are updates that makes previously valid blocks invalid, in general these can work inside the current consensus rule. Nodes that do not update themselves, their blocks will still be accepted in the Blockchain because the update falls into a contraction of the rule set.

  2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hard fork?
    An update of consensus rules which is not performed by nodes.

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

  • A chain split;
  • Hash power split which can reduce network security;
  • A new digital currency,
  • Community split;
1 Like