Decentralization and consensus, two key ideas behind the first cryptocurrency, don’t always go hand in hand. There have been many instances where those who disagree with the rules of the Bitcoin network have tried to change things, resulting in forks.
Bitcoin, as historically the first cryptocurrency, has undergone and survived many so-called hardforks and softforks. But not all projects have been and are successful. Bitcoin is a fairly conservative digital currency that is valued largely for its transparency, immutability and clear rules, so changes are often met with a lot of backlash.
Eleanor Ashworth is editor-in-chief at BTCNews. A Cambridge-trained journalist with 18 years across the Financial Times, Reuters and the Telegraph, she joined the crypto beat in 2017 after covering the Bank of England and HM Treasury. She holds the SABEW Best in Business award (2022) and was shortlisted for the British Journalism Awards (2023). At BTCNews she sets the editorial line for Bitcoin and macro markets coverage, with a focus on institutional adoption, regulation and central-bank policy. Based in London.
