Hard fork

Hard fork

A hard fork is a software update that is not backwards compatible. In the context of blockchain technology, a hard fork occurs when new lines have been introduced into the blockchain code that are incompatible with the rules of the blockchain's previous code. If network nodes do not update their software, they cannot communicate with nodes that have updated their software. This sometimes results in the blockchain splitting into two networks: one that works with the old rules and one that works with the new, updated rules. Bitcoin Cash, for example, was created after a hard fork of the bitcoin blockchain.

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Cryptopedia: Hard fork