Homework on Soft and Hard Forks - Questions

Blockchain and Bitcoin 101
#4254

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

A hardfork makes previously invalid blocks valid. (e.g. block size limit increased from 1mB to 2mB)

A softfork makes previously valid blocks invalid. (e.g. block size limit reduced from 1mB to 0.5mB)

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

You want to benefit financially from the creation of a new coin. You want to split the community. You want to enforce a change that nodes must explicitly agree to. You want to avoid the confusion that a soft fork may entail.

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

Fracturing the community. Lowering the hashrate and thus security of the network.

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#4255

What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?

Hard fork: makes previous invalid blocks valid. > expansion of ruleset.
After the expansion are the blocks around the circle now valid.
The update that leads to a hard fork is an update that makes previously invalid blocks valid.

Soft fork: makes previous valid blocks invalid.
The rule set is smaller. We have shrunk (blocks need to be smaller than before.
It is in other words an update that makes previously valid blocks invalid.
it lowers the mb and rules are tighter.

Both are updates of consensus rules
block to be valid

  • Txs are valid
  • Block size needs to be valid and <=1ms (megabyt)

If the rule is broken, the block won’t be put in the chain and the miner will disregard it.

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

They want an update and increase the block size
The opinion of the miners is changed and it is necessary when some changes are impossible to make backward-compatible with the old version.

What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?

The rule set is bigger so you loose a part of the community

Not every transaction will be taken in account, this is not the case with a soft fork.

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#4256

  1. Soft fork = rule set still works with change, over time validators will pick up longest chain.
    hard fork = rulke set no longer works and needs to be a new coin

  2. New coin for faster transactions or larger block size

  3. You lose people from the network, making your new coin less secure

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#4257

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

  • What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
    There is an update that is more clear and democratic.

  • What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
    Splits the chain, splits the community, and causes a hash power split.

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#4258

  1. Hard fork enables expansion to be possible, It makes previous invalid blocks, valid. and can create a whole new currency. Soft fork enables contraction, Makes previous valid blocks, invalid.

  2. You could do a hard fork when you want to create a new currency and allow new functionality.

  3. It can split the chain when you don’t want it to which can split the community.
    It can lowers the hash power which also lowers the security of the network.

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#4259

1.a hard fork is when previous invalid block become valid and a soft fork is the contrary
2.a change of rule set.
3.a split of chain leading to the least one being less secure

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#4260
  1. What is the difference between a soft fork and a hard fork?

A hard fork requires 100% adoption in the network. It’s adoption causes an expansion making previously invalid blocks valid. The Soft fork only needs 51% adoption in the network. Once implemented, it can cause a contraction making previously valid blocks invalid.

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

To give a clear update of the rules to the network for Block Validation. It can also create a new currency that may be better than the original.

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

A Hard fork can split the chain, split the community and Split the Hash Power. The latter, leaving the network less secure.

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#4261

Soft and Hard forks-

  1. Hard fork invalidates previous blocks. Soft fork validates invalid blocks. Hard forks split the chain. Soft forks don’t split the chain.

  2. Clear upgrade to improve performance or fix problems.

  3. Decreases trust. Could get a replay attack. Could cause a split into 2 different coins.

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#4262

  1. A soft fork is an update fork that makes previously valid blocks invalid under new consensus rules. A soft fork is a contraction of the rule set. A hard fork is an update fork that makes previously invalid blocks valid under new consensus rules. A Hard fork is the expansion of the rule set.

  2. Some prefer hard forks because it is a clear update and it is democratic.

  3. Some risks with a hard fork update are that the chain splits, the community splits and the hash power splits.

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#4263
  1. A soft fork makes previously valid blocks invalid and a hard fork makes previously invalid forks valid.
  2. To create a new currency with better rules to benefit the community.
  3. Not everyone may agree which would split the community and reduce hash power of the new fork.
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#4264
  1. A soft fork makes previously valid blocks invalid, and a hard fork makes invalid blocks valid.
  2. A change in consensus and vision.
  3. The hashpower now has to be divided over two chains due to the hard fork.
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#4265

Homework on Soft and Hard Forks - Questions

  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
  • a softfork makes some previously valid blocks invalid, while a hardfork makes some previously invalid blocks valid. Softforks proceed with 51% approval from network validator nodes, while a hardford will split the chain to those who agree with new rules and those who want to stick with previous rules.
  1. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
  • to create a new cryptocurrency, also strong disagreement amoung validator nodes about changing the rules of consensus.
  1. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
  • Risk of having two separate blockchains, i.e. a divided community. That also means the hash power of the network will be split and reduced.
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#4266

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

  • A softfork makes previously valid blocks invalid, while a hardfork makes previously invalid blocks valid. This is related to a change in the size of a block.

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

  • If the size of the block is too small and needs an increase in size.

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

  • It risks the security of the network because it can lead to the community being split and result in the loss of hash power.
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#4267
  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork? a softfork is where previously valid blocks are made to be invalid whilst a hardfork for example is where previously invalid blocks become valid in the expansion
  2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork? i would only do a hardfork if consensus would be needed to be done as a change
  3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork? well for example the hash power split and also it could split communities
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#4268

  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
    A hardfork is a change on the protocol consensus that makes rules that were previously invalid now valid. It expands the set of rules of the protocol. A softfork is a change on the protocol consensus that makes rules that were previously valid now invalid. It contracts the set of rules of the protocol.

  2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
    For instance, there was a vote among the community and the majority of it wants to change the set of rules of the protocol to accept some rules that are not accepted in the current protocol. Or part of the community thinks there’s the need of creating a new currency.

  3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
    Security can be reduced, since the hash power will be reduced because the chain will be split (some nodes will stay in the previous chain, some nodes will be in the new chain).

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#4269

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

  2. It creates a clear and democratic update

  3. It splits the hashpower (decreases security of the network), community and the chain.

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#4270
  1. Soft forks make previous valid blocks invalid and hard forks make previous invalid blocks valid
  2. Improvements to a network via a more democratic type of consensus
  3. A split would result in reallocation of hash power making the network weaker
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#4271
  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?

a soft fork is. a contraction of the network; make valid blocks, invalid; and new rules
a hard fork is an expansion of the network: making invalid blocks, valid.

  1. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
    create a new currency; change in the consensus by adding new rules.

  2. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
    hash power is decreased; is split among all nodes - “community split”; thus decreasing security

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#4272

  1. A soft fork contracts the set of rules and makes previously valid blocks become invalid. This means that there will not be a split in the chain because all non-updated miners will still accept the blocks mined by updated miners.
    A hard fork expands the set of rules meaning that previously invalid blocks become valid. This creates a split in the chain because the updated miners will accept blocks from both updated and non-updated miners, but non-updated miners will disregard updated blocks and only accept blocks produced with the smaller ruleset.

  2. A hard fork would be good because it creates a clear statement. Miners are either on or off the new chain. This is somewhat democratic in that the decision should be voted on prior to the update to ensure that everyone is in agreement.

  3. A hard fork could be risky because it does create two different chains. This makes it so that the hash power of the newly updated chain is reduced because less miners are on that chain so the network would be less secure.

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#4273
  1. What is the difference between soft fork and hard fork?

Soft fork is a product of a new rule update making previously valid blocks invalid. Hard fork is a product of a new rule update making previously invalid blocks valid.

  1. What are some reasons why you do a hard fork ?

It is a clear update driven by a consensus of agreement in a rule set.

  1. What are some of the risks in performing a hard fork?

The risk is the hash power split.

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