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hard-fork

A protocol change in Ethereum intended to reverse the effects of the DAO hack by creating a new chain that invalidated the attacker’s transactions.

1 chapter across 1 book

The Cryptopians: Idealism, Greed, Lies, and the Making of the First Big Cryptocurrency Craze (2022)Laura Shin

Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of 'The Cryptopians' is a detailed compilation of references documenting the complex aftermath of the 2016 DAO hack on the Ethereum blockchain. It chronicles the community debates, technical responses such as hard forks and soft forks, social media exchanges among key figures, and the emergence of Ethereum Classic as a dissenting chain. The chapter highlights the tensions between idealistic visions of decentralized governance and the pragmatic challenges of security, accountability, and community consensus in blockchain ecosystems.