Homework on Soft and Hard Forks - Questions

Blockchain and Bitcoin 101
#864

What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
-A hardfork makes a previous invalid block valid and a softfork makes a previous valid block invalid.

What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
-If the size of a block increase in size outside the rules.

What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
-you split the hashpower so there are less miners on the chain wich decreases security.

#865

  1. Hardfork: Update of the chain, which makes previously invalid blocks valid (extraction of rules)
    Softfork: Update of the chain, which makes previously valid blocks now invalid (contraction of rules)

  2. If you want to have a democratic decision about the new rules and a clear cut between the old and the new rules. I also assume that for some updates there is no other way. If the set of rules are expanding, there is no other way than using a hard fork

  3. Lowering the hash power by splitting the community, which makes the chain more vulnerable/less stable

#866

  1. A softfork makes previous valid blocks invalid. A hardfork makes previous invalid blocks valid.

  2. If you want to make a change on the original consensus rules.
    Maybe to create something that wasn’t possible with the old rules. Help scalability increase

  3. Split the community. A decrease of hashing power on the network and so a decrease of security

#867
  1. A hardfork is a split in the chain that is validated whereas the softfork is a contraction with the invalidation of a chain.
  2. When you update the rules to accept a higher size of block.
  3. There can be a split in the chain that can produce a new currency and also the hash power is reduced making the chain less secure.
#868

  1. A hard fork in an update that make (previously) invalid blocks valid. It requires 100% of the network to update. Meanwhile, a soft fork makes previously valid blocks invalid, but only requires the majority to update (greater than 50%).

  2. Hard fork are used to expand rule sets, a feature upgrade that did not have in the existing rule set, for example. Hard forks can happen when communities have split opinions on a specific blockchain project’s roadmap. It can also (perhaps) happen when particular miners have unfair advantage over others. I also guess when, assuming there is a particular individual acquires majority of the hash power (greater than 50%), and can perform soft forks on behalf of the minority, making such decisions non-democratic, can eventually lead to a split community consensus thus lead to a hard fork.

  3. Can lead to a split chain, split community support and most importantly split of hash power, thus potentially decreasing the network security significantly.

2 Likes
#869

  1. A soft fork may make previously valid transactions invalid, and a hard fork may make previously invalid transactions valid

  2. with hard fork it is unambiguous, clear and democratic

  3. you may lose the community and reduce hash power, which can slow transactions and mining. There is also the adjustment to the new currency to take on board

1 Like
#870

1 a softfork is like a contraction of rules regarding block size making previously valid blocks invalid
2 to expand the rules making previously invalide blocks valid
3 divide the hashrate

#871

1. What is the difference between a soft-fork and a hard-fork?
Soft fork is referring to an update where previously valid blocks are invalid. On the other hand, hard forks imply that previously invalid blocks are valid.

2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
In case a new currency is desired, increasing the block size

3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
Community becomes divided, confusion can be spread, possible lack of validation

1 Like
#872

  1. A soft fork update is what makes a valid block invalid. A hard block would be the opposite

  2. Create a new Currency, Clear update to get away from the old chain. Struggling with Consensus !!! Ive forgot what the video was talking about again.

Thanks x

  1. We split the chain and split the community.
#873

That is amazing. Well done.

#874

Thank You @Rob_McCourt. Still slowly learning!

1 Like
#875

me too. 9 weeks at being fully in to learning

1 Like
#876

1.Soft fork is where valid block become invalid, and hard fork is where invalid blocks become valid.

  1. To change consensus rules.

  2. You split the chain and community and reduce the hash power.

1 Like
#877
  1. with a hard fork a previously invalid block becomes valid, the rules als expanding. with a soft fork a previously valid block becomes invalid, the rules are tightened.
  2. if (a part of) community thinks the rules are too tight.
  3. Security issues (less hash power), split of community
#878

  1. Soft fork is a consequence of tightening of the rules. If > 50% hashpower update to new rules no fork will happen because that will create the longest blockchain. Hard fork is an expansion of the rules. It needs 100% of nods to update to avoid a fork. Otherwise all nods will accept blocks from old rules but only updated nods will accept blocks with new rules.

  2. Make an improvement on the network thet requires an expansion of the rules. Create a new currency.

  3. High probability that less than 100% of the nods will update. Split community. Multiple versions of the truth. Smaller community compromises security on network

1 Like
#879

Homework on Soft and Hard Forks - Questions

  1. What is the difference between a soft fork and a hard fork?
  • Hard fork splits the chain and is defined as an update that makes previous invalid blocks valid. Where a Soft Fork doesn’t split the chain and is defined as an update that makes previous valid blocks invalid.
  1. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
  • You might do a hard form in order to create an update that the majority of the network doesn’t approve of, this lack of consensus would create two separate chains from the point of deviation. This would allow a minority to split off and form a new chain with a new update and new consensus rules.
  1. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
  • Network integrity, brand trust, splitting of the community are a few risks to conducting a hard fork. Network integrity could be damaged as there are less nodes / miners to secure the network as they would be split in two different chains. Brand trust is lost when the network doesn’t reach consensus, not unlike what we see happening in the United States today. When you split a community then the resources, time and attention are all split and thus the whole is no longer as productive or decentralized.
1 Like
#880
  • What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?

SF is the result of an update that gets previously valid blocks invalid and HR is other way around.

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

To make previous transactions and blocks valid, to make a clear change, that is confirmed by users. It also provides more flexibility in a new protocol after consensus is met.

  • What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?

It will split the chain and the community and also may be considered unsafe.

2 Likes
#881

  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
    the HF is an expansion where the SF is considered a contraction.

  2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
    changes in the rules set.

  3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
    split the community, decreases the HR risking the security.

1 Like
#882
  1. What is the difference between a softfork and a hardfork?
    Both are updates that effect the rules of the network. But, the difference is expansion or contraction of the rules. For instance, a hardfork will make previous invalid blocks valid by changing the size of the block from 1 mB to 5mB. Whereas a softfork will make previous valid block invalid by changing the size of the block from 1 mB to 0.25mB.
  2. What are some of the reasons why you would do a hardfork?
    To make new currency or have a clear update with all nodes. It is a democratic approach.
  3. What are some of the risks with performing a hardfork?
    It will divide the blockchain which is bad for the network. By spliting the chain, it is lowering the hash power of the network. As a result, it will lower the security of the network.
#883
  1. Hard fork update makes previously invalid blocks valid, and soft fork update make previously valid blocks invalid.
  2. when you want a new rules and new currency.
  3. Hash power getting split, so the security becomes lower. Community splits as well.