What Are Blockchains?
To effectively define what a blockchain fork is, it might be easier to first understand what a blockchain itself is.
There are several kinds of blockchains in use all over the world, each with their own use cases and features. So our definition of what they are will likely lean towards the general side.
The way blockchains work can be explained in simple terms. They are simply a collection of chunks (blocks) of interconnected data, that are run by decentralized software. Blockchains grant access to anyone with an internet connection, and enable anyone on the chain to participate and interact with it. Think of them like huge databases, open to everyone, maintained by everyone, and can be added to by anyone.
You may have noticed that the word “added to” above, was italicized.
Why did I do that? Why didn’t I say “blockchains can be edited or manipulated by anyone”?
Well, blockchains are special kinds of databases. They are special, in that anyone can ‘add’ to them, but it is virtually impossible to edit or delete data on the chain. This makes the data on them traceable, down to the first piece of information ever recorded.
This means that if I deploy some data to a blockchain, stating that a “apples are sweet at 4 O’clock”, my statement of how apples taste at 4 O’clock will live permanently on the blockchain, be visible to everyone, and will remain unchangeable as long as that blockchain exists.
A hundred or a million years from now, tracing and finding exactly what I said about apples will remain possible and doable. Not the government, the developers in charge of the chain, nor even you the deployer, can manipulate or delete data on a blockchain.
Of course, my analogy of apples is an oversimplification of how data is stored on the blockchain, but in this, it is safe to say that blockchains are “transparent” and “completely immutable” kinds of databases. This feature alone, makes them perfect for building decentralized, transparent and censorship-resistant infrastructure as is the case with blockchains like Ethereum and Solana.
Okay, So What About Blockchain Forks?
Different blockchains have different features. Some are capable of accepting and storing more data on them per second, some can accommodate a higher number of users, and some are designed to slightly ‘bend’ the rules surrounding blockchains altogether.
Sometimes the features a blockchain has when it is created may vary widely from what it turns out to become over the years. When the developers behind a blockchain decide to upgrade its features or modify its protocols, what happens next is what is known as a fork.
When a blockchain is forked, several things can occur, depending on what kind of fork is in question, and what the aim of the fork was to begin with. Some forks produce a whole new chain upon completion, with rules and protocols that differ from the original. Others only slightly alter the original chain, and leave everything as is.
At this point, it becomes necessary to consider:
The Different Kinds Of Blockchain Forks
Here’s a fun fact: Blockchain forks can sometimes be accidental.
Blocks of data are added to the chain as a whole, by people known as miners. These miners use special computers with special software on them, to solve mathematical puzzles on the blockchain. Upon solving these puzzles, the miners can “mine” or create a new block that is then added permanently to the chain.
As is how blockchains operate, the network running them rewards whichever miner solves these puzzles first with some digital money (crypto), meaning that there is a constant struggle between the miners for who gets to solve the puzzles first and therefore get the reward.
Accidental forks happen this way.
Sometimes, two or miners solve these puzzles at the same time, meaning that the original blockchain now has multiple branches at the end. Exactly like the forks you eat salads with.
You eat salads, right?
The blockchain network resolves the conflict between these new branches by waiting a while for more blocks to be added, and then choosing the longest prong among these new branches. The network abandons the shorter prongs on the chain, and continues to add more blocks to the longer one it chose.
Accidental forks have no bearing on the future of a blockchain, as the “orphaned” prongs end up being abandoned. Intentional forks on the other hand, are the important ones. They are further classified into:
Hard Forks
Hard forks happen when a blockchain is split in two completely different and separate chains. One of these two new chains is the same as the original, with its protocols and rules intact. The other adheres to completely new rules, and heads off in a completely different direction from the original. A good example of this is what happened between Ethereum Classic (ETC) and the main Ethereum blockchain in 2016. The new chain from a hard fork shares the same history as the original chain, up until the time of the split.
Soft Forks
Soft forks are merely upgrades to a network that change its protocols and the way the network adds new blocks to the chain. When soft forks occur, the old nodes in the blockchain do not follow the same rules as the new ones. As an easier way to remember this, you should keep in mind that asides creating a whole new chain, hard forks create completely new cryptocurrencies from the old ones.
Why Do Blockchains Need Forking?
Blockchain forks can be created as enhancements to the original chain, to increase the network's security, lower costs, and increase scalability while also providing new features. Forks can happen for a variety of causes like
- Security Enhancements
- Security Concerns
- Scaling
- Changing the consensus algorithm for the network In certain cases, forks in a network aren't even made to strengthen the primary chain. In these cases, forking happens with the aim of creating completely new networks.
Forking an existing chain or starting one from scratch are the two primary methods for producing new chains and tokens. Users must now choose which network or chain to stick with after the fork is complete.
In fact, networks and their cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin and Bitcoin Cash were created from hard forks, while Litecoin among others, was created using a portion of bitcoin’s source code. What Does It All Mean? Since bitcoin's inception less than ten years ago, the network has undergone multiple forks. Currently, several of the coins produced by these forks are well-known.
Given the high likelihood of future forks, it is impossible to predict how many more grandchildren the original bitcoin and ethereum chains will have in the years to come.