A blockchain that was born out of the rejection of a specific technical change is on the cusp of making a decision some argue contradicts its core values. That’s the situation the developers behind ethereum classic face ahead of a hard fork expected to be enacted on its blockchain on 25th October (should network participants approve the upgrade). Originally formed in reaction to a decision by the ethereum community to edit its "immutable" ledger, the fork caused an ideological schism among its enthusiasts. Alarmed by the action (or seeing a chance to profit by continuing the original network), miners and speculators began running its blockchain , which developers named "ethereum classic". Other investors then bought into the vision, and today, there are currently 85m classic ethers (ETC) worth $87m . What perhaps wasn’t foreseen, though, was that ethereum classic would face a situation where it would soon need to enact an unplanned hard fork. But following a series of attacks that have targeted ethereum over the past month, ethereum classic has realized it is also vulnerable given its use of nearly identical technology. Pressure has further mounted on developers to resolve the issue after ethereum’s successful hard fork . Given the nascent nature of its community, the uncertain path forward for ethereum classic has spurred discussion among its supporters and detractors. As a result, some in the ethereum classic feel the group must act. Ethereum classic community manager Carlo Vicari argued for the fork in practical terms, telling CoinDesk: "Either you do the update and the chain survives, or you don’t and the chain ceases to function. So, it’s kind of an easy choice." Those in the project’s leadership say any criticisms amount to "trolling", or the willful spreading of uncertainty about ethereum classic and its vision. Criticisms emerge […]
