Explained | What are hard forks and soft forks in blockchain?

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To the layman, hard forks and soft forks may seem like some strange cutlery. However, in cryptocurrency parlance, forks refer to splits in a blockchain. Network developers often undertake voluntary software or protocol updates on their blockchains for various reasons.

These updates can be of two kinds - hard fork and soft fork.Soft forks are minor changes made to the blockchain. These changes do not disrupt the functional continuity of the blockchain’s previous version. This means that, non-upgraded users can still interact with non-upgraded users.

Soft forks are backwards compatible.On the other hand, hard forks are substantial changes made to the blockchain. These changes result in a discontinuity or disruption of the blockchain’s previous version. With a hard fork, non-upgraded users will not be able to interact with upgraded users.

As such, hard forks are backwards incompatible.The concept of changing the underlying rules or protocols of a software by the community is a common trait of open-sourced software. However, the concept of hard forks and soft forks is exclusive to blockchain technology.Also Read| The Complete Guide To IC15 : India's First Cryptocurrency IndexWho can make changes in a blockchain network?Before we dive deeper into the concepts of hard and soft forks, we must first understand who can make the changes in a decentralised blockchain. As various blockchains operate differently, we will take the example of Bitcoin and its governance.DevelopersIndividuals responsible for developing the code of the blockchain network are known as developers.