Homework on Soft and Hard Forks - Questions

[Markv2021]

A soft fork is when previously valid blocks are now invalid whereas a hard fork means that previously invalid forks are now valid.

A hard fork is necessary when a certain rule needs to be removed, for (a stupid) example: Nonces can now be base 16 and include alphabetic characters as well.

A hard for will split the community temporarily, until 100% of nodes update to allow for the previously invalid blocks. This can lead to very large parallel chains of blocks occupying the same height in the blockchain, which will eventually break off to become stale and potentially remove tons of transactions when the fork is resolved. The alternative is the formation of an entirely new token because the community has split as a result of disagreeing on what they believe should be valid.

[Pizzo78]

1. a hard fork expands the ruleset of the nodes and miners, making previously invalid blocks, valid whereas a soft fork shrinks the ruleset of nodes and miners so previously valid blocks are now invalid

2. a hard fork is a major update to the network and by doing so, you create a different network with different rulesets, thus making a complete new coin with different attributes ( often for the better )

3. A hard fork is not just beneficial, it splits the network and creates two different blockchains with different rules but a common past, the major effect is that the hashing power of the network is reduced because everyone updating will leave the current network and apply its power to the new version of the blockchain so the security is reduced

[Leo_Maslyak]

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

2. To introduce a new functionality or change consensus rules.

3. You split the hash power and the community.

[Jean-Sebastien_Neveu]

1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
   A softfork is an update that make previous valid blocks invalid. On the other hand, a hardfork is an update that make the prevous invalid block valid.

2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
   To make a change in the concensus, to make changes in the rules that not everybody agree on.

3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
   It can divise the community, reduce the hash power, and make the network less secure.

[Healandmore]

1- With Soft forks previously valid blocks become invalid. The rules become contracted. With hard forks previously invalid blocks become valid. Rules become expanded.

• When transaction validation activity increases via nodes and miners, block capacities must be increased because block adding duration should remain constant for chain. Hard forks increases block capacity.

• With hard fork, hash power splits into 2 chains, makes it more unsecure

[yakoondah]

1. What is the difference between a soft fork and a hard fork?

• soft fork is an expansion of the ruleset, will not necessarily split the chain

• hard fork is a contraction of the ruleset, will force a split

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

• to change the network consensus

• force all nodes ton update

• more clarity

• def split the chain, want a separate new chain

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

• security suffers as nodes are lowered

• split the community

[UDAYJADI]

1. A soft fork contracts the rule set and the hard fork expands the rule set

2. It’s done if an update is needed In nodes and change in rules

3. Dividing community and new currency formation and lowering security

[ellieD]

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

A soft fork contracts the rules used. A hard for expands the rules.

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

To apply chain rule updates.

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

It splits the chain.

[cryptolearning2021]

1. hard fork is an expansion of the rule set. It’s makes previously invalid blocks valid. Soft forks are a contraction of the rule set. It makes previously valid blocks invalid.
2. I would do a hard fork update because it maintains a democratic approach to blockchain. You can choose to agree or disagree with the rules and still participate in the blockchain community.
3. it splits the chain and decreases hash power, adding security risks. It also splits the community.

[Abel]

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

A soft fork makes a previous valid block invalid and the hardfork makes a previously invalid block valid
2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
Maybe to solving issues with scalability, allowing an increment of the transaction per bloc with an new size rule.

3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
   You split the hash power in the now two block chain, and that lower the security in both.

[christop242]

1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
   hardforks change the consensus rules of accepting blocks larger
   softworks shrink them
   hardforks always result in split blockchains
   softforks may cause temporary splits that will eventually resolve
   hardforks split a community, are democratic, but also decrease security of the blockchain because hashrate is decreased.
   hardforks need 100% adoption to work to keep a community intact

2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
   difference of opinion. democratic. (make it easier to mine?)

3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
   damage community and compromise security and hash power.

[faykim]

1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
   While a soft fork is a result of an update that is tightening the rules, a hard fork is the result of an update where rules are expanded.

2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
   In case a certain group of miners wants to change the rules (for example in order to improve the network in some way) and another group of miners does not agree with the update, then a hard fork is kind of a solution for both groups to go their own way.
   When there is an error or weakness in the current rules and a change has to be made to the best option might be to risk a hardfork, even if you do not want it, by making an update expanding certain rules.

3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
   Hash power will be reduced leading to possible lower security of the block chain
   User group might become to small, or move fully out of one of the chains to the other.

[ValkeAllar]

1. Hard fork is an update that makes previously invalid blocks valid and a soft works in the opposite way when an update makes previously validated blocks invalid.
2. Clear, democratic update (if you don’t want to follow a new set of rules you will stay on this blockchain/currency).
3. Split chain, community and hash power.

[magicrypto]

what is the difference between a soft fork and a hard fork?
*soft fork:*an update that previously valid blocks made invalid.
hard fork: an update that lead to a hard fork, makes previously invalid blocks valid
what are some of the reasons why you would do a hard fork.
changing the consensus rules are not always bad it leads to innovation
what are some of the risks with performing a hard fork?
that some previous blocks will not be valid again
the hash power will be reduced that lowers the security of the blockchain and splits the community

[shadowfaz16]

• What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
  the difference is that soft forks are updates that make previously valid blocks invalid by expanding the ruleset. hard forks are updates that make previous invalid blocks valid by contracting the ruleset.

• What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
  you would do a hard fork to change consensus rules and make the blockchain better.

• What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
  the chain and the community are split, therefore the hash rate would also be split and we would have less security.

QUESTION
in hard forks, if the 2 chains continue, will they eventually merge?? is there any incentive for the old nodes to update? or will the 2 versions go on forever?? are stale blocks created here?

[Maki]

If all the nodes did not update, the 2 versions will go on forever. Stale block is a different scenario, it happens accidentally when two miners mine a block at the same time. And Hard fork doesn’t create stale blocks, it spilts up the community and create a new currency.

[cryptocashin]

1. A hardfork makes invalid blocks valid ( expands the consensus ruleset) and usuallysplits the network while a softfork makes valid blocks invalid ( contracts the consensus ruleset).

2. You may want to do a hardfork to add new features to the blockchain that it didnt previously have.

3. When performing a hardfork you may reduce security reduce hashpower and create a smaller community.

[BalancedBaldy]

1. Hard forks are created by an update which creates an expansion of the ruleset making previously invalid blocks valid. Soft forks are created by an update which creates a contraction of the ruleset making previous valid blocks invalid.
2. Reason to do a hardfork would be to add/change consensus to make the network better and more efficient.
3. Risks with a hardfork are that it splits the chain, community, and hash power reducing the security of the network.

[Xabier22]

1. A hard fork makes previously invalid blocks valid and the soft fork does the opposite.
   2.A hard fork is much more clear to nodes, the ones who want to join the new protocol only need to update it and the ones who not stay the same. That is also what makes it more democratic to some people.
   3.The problem is that it needs a 100% of nodes to be updated to reach a complete consensus(which is almost impossible), if not, the chain will split into two different versions of the blockchain.

[Scott815]

1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork? Hark forks make changes that don’t work on the current blockchain. Soft forks make changes that can work inside current rule on the chain.

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

3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork? split the hash rate and security due to miners now have two chains to choose from to mine