Hardforks: How Does One Decision Lead to a Network Split?
Blockchains can be visualized as railway networks with diverging paths: one preserving the old ways and the other venturing into new innovations.
A hardfork represents a crucial choice between tradition and progression, stability and evolution. But what triggers this pivotal decision?
Explaining Hardforks
A hardfork is a vital blockchain update rendering older block versions incompatible with the new chain. It's more than just a technical enhancement; it requires unanimous consent from all network participants.
Hardforks are typically prompted by urgent needs such as responding to security breaches, resolving deep-seated community disagreements, or introducing major upgrades.
Following a community agreement on a hardfork, the network divides into two distinct branches, each continuing from a shared historical point.
Generally, the new branch introduces radical changes that distinctly set its blockchain apart from the original.
A Real-World Hardfork Example
Take the 2016 Ethereum split after the DAO was hacked. The community was at a crossroads: modify the protocol to reimburse the affected parties or maintain the status quo.
Opting for a hardfork led to the creation of two separate blockchains: Ethereum (ETH), which altered its historical record, and Ethereum Classic (ETC), which kept its ledger unchanged.
Know any intriguing hardfork stories? Drop them in the comments below!