Have you ever wondered what a fork is, given that you've been hearing about it constantly in the crypto community? Today, I will explain clearly what this concept means.

When we mention a fork, we are talking about significant changes that occur in the blockchain network protocol. It’s not just an ordinary fork; it’s a split of the blockchain into two separate paths, each following different rules.

There are two main types of forks you need to know. The first type is a hard fork — these are major changes to the protocol that are not backward compatible. When a hard fork occurs, the blockchain splits into two independent chains forever. Nodes or participants who do not update will continue to follow the old chain, while those who accept the changes will switch to the new chain. As a result, you often see new cryptocurrencies emerging with their own blockchain.

Additionally, there is a soft fork — another type of upgrade. What is a soft fork? It is a backward-compatible upgrade to the current protocol. This means that the introduced changes still conform to the old rules, allowing nodes that haven't upgraded to continue validating transactions without issues. In this case, the blockchain remains a single, unified chain; only upgraded nodes will follow the additional rules.

In summary, what is a fork in practice? It is a mechanism that helps blockchain develop and adapt to new requirements, but how it is implemented determines whether it will create a permanent divergence or just a smooth upgrade.