- A soft fork makes previous valid blocks, invalid. It only requires 51% of the network to achieve this. A hard fork on the other hand will split the chain by making previous invalid blocks, valid.
- When it is necessary to update the consensus rules in a clear and democratic way.
- You will split the chain and therefore lose some miners along the way. This results in a decrease in hashing power and therefore a decrease in security.
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Softfork updates contract the validation rules, making previously valid blocks invalid. Hardfork updates expand the validation rules, making previously invalid blocks valid.
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Miners might want to increase the block reward or block size.
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If a large minority donât agree, they will take a significant amount of hash with them when the chain splits. It would need to be an overwhelming majority of nodes and miners that agree to the hard fork for it to go relatively smoothly.
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What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
A hardfork is an expansion of the set of rules, which generally means that the blocksize is increased. This would make previously invalid blocks, valid. Soft forks are the opposite and are a contraction of the set of rules, making previously valid blocks invalid. A soft fork only requires the majority of the network to agree.
What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
You would do a hard fork when you wish for an expansion of the rules, to have a clear update. This is democratic and doesnât require the majority to agree, like that of a softfork consensus update. A hardfork could also be proposed if there was an interest to produce a new currency.
What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
Some of the risks would be that the blockchain would split, which in turn would result in the community splitting because of a difference in opinion. This could also, unintentionally, create a new currency. If the blockchain splits then the hashpower of each chain would be decreased, compromising the security of the network.
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What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
Soft forks restricts the blockchain ruleset while the hard fork expands ruleset. That means that a part of the blockchain will reject some nodes that are using the new ruleset and keep mining in another branch. This may bee seen as a new coin. When the ruleset changes to more restrict rules if most of the hash power is updated the blockchain will discard the old fork naturally.
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What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
- Maybe improve the consensus algorithm to increase capacity
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What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
- Split community and divide the hashrate
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A hard fork makes previous invalid blocks valid where as a soft fork makes previous valid blocks invalid.
To create a new community or currency.
If you donât want a new currency or community and it would make a weaker hash power creating a less secure network.
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Homework on Soft and Hard Forks â Questions
1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
A soft fork seeks to implement a network update to a protocolâs consensus method (i.e the rules according to which blocks of transactions data are validated and added to a blockchain) by contracting how they can do so (in other words: further restricting the set of rules to follow)
Conversely, a hard fork attempts to do the opposite by offering to update a network, which expands how blocks can be appended to a blockchain (in other words: an expansion of the rules, further allowing to do so).
Additionally:
- Hard fork updates are not backward-compatible whereas soft fork updates are.
- Soft forks do not split chains while hard forks do
2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
If, for instance, a blockchainâs integrity were to be compromised at a certain block height, a hard fork update could be implemented at that particular point to restore the blockchainâs legitimacy. The hard forked version of a blockchain would clearly distinguish itself from the compromised copy, thus allowing miners and nodes to keep working on the authentic version with greater confidence.
Some other reasons:
- Performance improvements
- Implement a clear upgrade
- More democratic MO than that of a soft fork
- To fix protocol bugs
3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
A less secure blockchain as the total available hash power would be split between two or more running versions, which would give malevolent actors a better chance to compromise either chain.
Other risks:
- âReplayâ attack
- Transferring signed transactions from one version of the blockchain to the other.
- Lowering trust in a particular token.
- Splitting a coin into two or more offshoots.
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- What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
Hardforks are an expansion of the consensus rule sets, soft forks are a contraction of the consensus rule sets. - What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
When there is a clear split in community consensus where an expansion of rules may benefit the chain but is not agreed on by everyone. This would create a new blockchain where these new rules would apply. - What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
Community and chain split can cause security vulnerabilities and reduce the hash power.
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- The soft updates will previously blocks valid which was invalid previously invalid. In the opposite site hard uodates invalid block which was valid previously.
- The reason behind this is when miner mine a block at the same hight and at same time.
- Risks is the network will be update 100 percent otherwise it will create problem.
What can be the problems?
This is the reason for stale block occurrence. Some reasons for the hard fork are an upgrade of the protocol, correcting important security risks found, adding new functionalityâŚetc.
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- SF - has more than 50% of the hash power making the previously valid blocks invalid. Contraction of consensus rule set makes the update (backward compatible). HF - 100% of the network to update to avoid a fork by making invalid blocks valid. Expansion of consensus rule set makes the update (not backward compatible and clear upgrade).
- For expansion of the rule set for the consensus
- Hash power would decrease which decreases security - split the community.
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A soft fork can be seen as a contraction of the ruleset, making previously valid blocks, invalid. Whereas a hard fork is a expansion of the rulset, making previously invalid blocks, valid.
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When you want to implement functions that are not currently possible, you need to expand the ruletset thus making a hard fork.
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In most cases this will split the hash power and community, and this will lower the security of the network.
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A soft fork makes previously valid blocks invalid: example : block size reduction in consensus rules.
A hard fork makes previously invalid blocks valid; example: block size raising in consensus rules. -
change consensus rules for example:
- Raising of the block size
- changing hash target to a larger number so it will include more hashs
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- You split the chain
- You reduce CPU Power
- Prolongs possible calculation time for new blocks
- reduces security
- will cause Stale blocks, that can prolongs secure confirmation of transaction
- split community
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- Hardfork is an expansion of the ruleset -> invalid blocks are made vallid
Softfork is a contraction of the ruleset -> valid blocks are made invallid - Hardforking is the most democratic as people can opt out of the update. Another reason is that it creates a new currency which might be interesting (might also be a downside though).
- A benefit of hardforking is that people can opt out, however this cuts the community and the hashrate as people are split over the fork.
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1: Hard forks makes previously invalid transactions valid; soft forks make previously valid transactions invalid.
2: A hard fork may be the right choice because of the democratic process and the clear result from it.
3: With a hard fork, risks include splitting the community and the hash power itself.
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a hardfork expands the rules and a soft fork tightens the rules.
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Change in consensus
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less hashpower ergo less security
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1). The difference between a Hard Fork and a Soft Fork is that a Hard Fork expands (makes it bigger) the rules set and a Soft Fork contracts the rules set (makes it smaller).
Hard forks make previously invalid blocks valid and soft forks make previously valid blocks invalid.
2). You would do a Hard Fork update as a clear update. This is a democratic (some say) update and would also give you a new currency.
3). You split the chain and the community which may cause more harm than good. Hash Power becomes spit and this can be a security risk.
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- Hark forks make previous invalid blocks valid. The new blocks will not work within the current rule set. Soft forks make previous valid block invalid. The new blocks can still work inside current rule set.
- Make changes to the network that canât be done inside the current rules.
- Split with the community not agreeing on the changes, as well as potential making the network less secure, by decreasing the hash power.
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- Soft fork â updates that make previously valid blocks invalid.
⢠Contraction of the network: These updates result in contraction. For instance, a new update that only accepts blocks of smaller than 1 mB. Whereas, as per the previous set of rules, any block with a blocksize of 2 mB is acceptable.
⢠Upgraded nodes still communicate with non-upgraded nodes: nodes that updated their set of rules still communicate with the ones who didnât update the new rules. The reason is that new network protocols lay/fit within the initial network protocols.
⢠Majority acceptance: Soft fork updates require majority of the network participants to agree to the new rules. Thus, it often doesnât end up splitting a chain.
Hard Fork â updates that make previously invalid blocks valid.
⢠Expansion of the network: These updates result in expansion. For instance, a new update that accepts blocks of greater than 2 mB in size, but the previous set of rules only accept blocks with less than or equal to 1 mB in size. Thus, previously invalid blocks of 2 mbâs are now accepted to be appended to the chain, which expands the network.
⢠Upgraded nodes donât communicate with the non-upgraded nodes: nodes who update their network protocols donât communicate with the ones who didnât update to new protocols. A new chain is formed that runs in parallel to the old chain but with different TXs and blocks.
⢠Full acceptance: In order for the chain not to split, Hard Fork updates require 100% of the network participants to update their current set of rules to the new set of rules. This is challenging since itâs a decentralised system that gives nodes the choice to choose, instead of mandatory pressure to update â like in a centralised system.
- What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
Below are some of the reasons for doing a hard fork:
a) to create a new currency
b) to create a new community
c) change in the set of protocols (consensus)
- What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
a) risk of dividing a strong community
b) splitting may result in weakening of the security of the network
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1.Hard forks are usually consistent with an update the is a expansion of the consensus rule set. i.e. making previously Invalid blocks , Valid. 100% of nodes must update to avoid a fork.
Soft forks are usually consistent with a contraction in the consensus rules.i.e making previously valid blocks ,invalid.Only 50% or more nodes need to be updated to avoid a fork.
2.A constriction of the consensus rule set ,
3.The chain will most likely split , splitting community and creating a new currency . splits the hashpower and thus security of the network.
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