Explained: What Is a Hard Fork & How Does it Work?

If you’re into cryptocurrency, you may well have heard of hard forks. But what are they, and are they important? In this piece, we’ll discuss what hard forks are, why they happen, the difference between hard forks and soft forks, and why they are an important part of the blockchain.

Additionally, we’ll also discuss some examples of hard forks that have happened, such as Bitcoin Cash and Ethereum Classic.

What Is a Hard Fork?

Essentially, a hard fork splits a blockchain into two, with a change in the blockchain’s code meaning there are now two versions.