Soft Fork
A soft fork is a protocol change that tightens validation rules so upgraded nodes reject some blocks that older nodes would still accept.
✦ Key Insight
It helps explain how some upgrades activate without every node changing at once.
✕ Common Misconceptions
Soft forks still require careful activation and coordination.
Detailed Explanation
In Practice
Dig Deeper
Node
A node is a computer or software instance that participates in a blockchain network by storing, validating, relaying, or serving network data.
Fork
A blockchain fork is a divergence in software rules or chain history that can create different versions of a network or protocol.
Consensus
Consensus is the process and rule set by which distributed blockchain participants agree on valid state and transaction history.
Segregated Witness (SegWit)
Segregated Witness is a Bitcoin upgrade that separates witness data from the traditional transaction structure and changes block-weight accounting.
Hard Fork
A hard fork is a protocol change that makes some previously invalid blocks or transactions valid under new rules, creating incompatibility with non-upgraded nodes.