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I can fork Bitcoin tomorrow. So can anybody else. The only matter if whether the fork can gather enough traction to have value.

sputknick 9y ago
I'll start mining atemerevCoin, launch my ICO and become rich. But in all seriousness, you are correct, and I think this is a good thing. If they can't decide what Bitcoin should look like, fork it, launch all three, and we will soon find out which one people want. However in my opinion, Bitcoin is also an evolutionary dead-end, and the future is Ethereum.
- nkkollaw 9y ago
  What's so good about Ethereum that would make it the future (serious question, I don't know much about it)?
- atemerev 9y ago
  Both Bitcoin and Ethereum have merits, which is reflected in their corresponding market prices. (Bitcoin is perfect for value storage; Ethereum is becoming an universal financial applications platform).
  - tunetine 9y ago
    Market prices are propped up propaganda at this point. Universal what? Please, no.
    - atemerev 9y ago
      Financial markets in general are propped up propaganda. We trade expectations. If the prices agree with the propaganda content, most market participants believe it to be true... until something unexpected shatters their belief.
      - tunetine 9y ago
        What? No.
        votepaunchy 9y ago
        Once you believe that dollars are fictitious propaganda then the companies earning all that money must be likewise.
        atemerev 9y ago
        Any logical counter-arguments?
speakeron 9y ago
In particular, whether it can gain enough mining power to survive. Currently, SegWit2x (the fork discussed here) has 92% of miners signalling that they'll support it[1]. The question in this case is whether the original Bitcoin could survive after the fork if this support is maintained. [1] https://coin.dance/blocks https://coin.dance/blocks
- metroidfan832 9y ago
  No, the difficulty can be adjusted at fork time so it doesn't matter. Literally anyone can fork.
  - stale2002 9y ago
    That would ALSO be a hard fork though. IE the legacy chain would be dead. Yes, the legacy chain people can create their own new fork, but then it has to deal with all the disadvantages of being a hard fork, and the old chain will be dead.
    - Nursie 9y ago
      Why would the legacy chain be dead? Bitcoin Cash is a hard fork of Bitcoin, both still run.
      - stale2002 9y ago
        Currently 93% of the hashpower is signaling that they will switch from the legacy chain to the new hard fork. If the main chain has a very low hashpower, then anybody and their mother can attack it/double spend/ ect very easily. The miners on the fork could even commit some hashpower on their own to attack the old chain, so as to make sure that the new one wins. Bitcoin cash never has the support of any significant amount of hashpower, so of course the main chain is still around.
        Nursie 9y ago
        True, but event 7% of the BTC hashpower is quite significant, and we may find that the 'old' branch lives on as another "Classic" or something. Guess we'll see.
teej 9y ago
They report on it because it drives traffic. BCH had major media coverage and I had people with no understanding of cryptocurrency asking me questions about it.

sputknick 9y ago

I'll start mining atemerevCoin, launch my ICO and become rich. But in all seriousness, you are correct, and I think this is a good thing. If they can't decide what Bitcoin should look like, fork it, launch all three, and we will soon find out which one people want. However in my opinion, Bitcoin is also an evolutionary dead-end, and the future is Ethereum.

nkkollaw 9y ago
What's so good about Ethereum that would make it the future (serious question, I don't know much about it)?
atemerev 9y ago
Both Bitcoin and Ethereum have merits, which is reflected in their corresponding market prices. (Bitcoin is perfect for value storage; Ethereum is becoming an universal financial applications platform).
- tunetine 9y ago
  Market prices are propped up propaganda at this point. Universal what? Please, no.
  - atemerev 9y ago
    Financial markets in general are propped up propaganda. We trade expectations. If the prices agree with the propaganda content, most market participants believe it to be true... until something unexpected shatters their belief.
    - tunetine 9y ago
      What? No.
      - votepaunchy 9y ago
        Once you believe that dollars are fictitious propaganda then the companies earning all that money must be likewise.
      - atemerev 9y ago
        Any logical counter-arguments?

speakeron 9y ago

In particular, whether it can gain enough mining power to survive. Currently, SegWit2x (the fork discussed here) has 92% of miners signalling that they'll support it[1]. The question in this case is whether the original Bitcoin could survive after the fork if this support is maintained. [1] https://coin.dance/blocks https://coin.dance/blocks

metroidfan832 9y ago
No, the difficulty can be adjusted at fork time so it doesn't matter. Literally anyone can fork.
- stale2002 9y ago
  That would ALSO be a hard fork though. IE the legacy chain would be dead. Yes, the legacy chain people can create their own new fork, but then it has to deal with all the disadvantages of being a hard fork, and the old chain will be dead.
  - Nursie 9y ago
    Why would the legacy chain be dead? Bitcoin Cash is a hard fork of Bitcoin, both still run.
    - stale2002 9y ago
      Currently 93% of the hashpower is signaling that they will switch from the legacy chain to the new hard fork. If the main chain has a very low hashpower, then anybody and their mother can attack it/double spend/ ect very easily. The miners on the fork could even commit some hashpower on their own to attack the old chain, so as to make sure that the new one wins. Bitcoin cash never has the support of any significant amount of hashpower, so of course the main chain is still around.
      - Nursie 9y ago
        True, but event 7% of the BTC hashpower is quite significant, and we may find that the 'old' branch lives on as another "Classic" or something. Guess we'll see.

teej 9y ago

They report on it because it drives traffic. BCH had major media coverage and I had people with no understanding of cryptocurrency asking me questions about it.