Soft Fork vs Hard Fork: Understanding Blockchain Upgrades
In the blockchain world, protocols are constantly evolving. To do this, two types of forks are used: soft forks and hard forks.
But what’s the difference?
# Soft Fork = Gentle Upgrade
Backward-compatible
Old nodes can still participate in the network
No blockchain split
Example: SegWit on Bitcoin
Hard Fork = Radical Change
Not backward-compatible
If everyone doesn’t upgrade, the blockchain splits
Two independent chains can coexist
Examples: Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum Classic
In short:
Soft Fork = a strict update still accepted by older nodes
Hard Fork = a clean break with incompatible rules
Forks can create new projects, spark debate in communities, or open up new opportunities.