<p>Any forking that results from a 51% attack is a fork of the blockchain. It is a fork in the data, not in the rules.</p>
<p>The phrases &quot;hard fork&quot; and &quot;soft fork&quot; usually refer to a fork in the Bitcoin rules. So that is a fork due to software changes that implement either a change in the so-called consensus rules or a change in the network protocol.</p>
<p>So they are different in that way.</p>
<p>So far as I know, there has never been a successful 51% attack in Bitcoin, so I don't think we can say for certain what a long term outcome might look like. I guess that all blockchain forks are eventually resolved one way or another.</p>
<hr />
<p>See <a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/30817/13866">What is a soft fork? What is a hard fork? What are their differences?</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-08T14:16:41.880Z
Arguably, every softfork is technically indistinguishable from a 51% attack of the upgraded miners on the non-upgraded miners. The distinction between calling it an attack or a soft-fork change is social (but relevant!) - and depends on whether nodes (and ultimately the community) go along with the change (and help enforce it).
Pieter Wuille
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-08T13:50:03.840Z
2022-08-08T13:50:03.840Z
RedGrittyBrick
<p>I am confused between the forking that can be created because of the 51% attack and the soft fork and hard fork.</p>
<p>Does forks because of 51% attack can also lead to new crypto currency creation?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-08T13:58:36.367Z
I came across the link https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/bitcoin-fork-undergoes-51-attack-settlement-assurances-matter-2021-08-05 where bitcoin fork undergo 51% attack.
Tavish Aggarwal
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-08T14:01:38.850Z
The Nasdaq article is about a 51% attack on BSV, not on Bitcoin (BTC). I personally would be careful not to assume that what happened to BSV could happen to BTC or that if it did happen, the results would be similar.
RedGrittyBrick
<bitcoin-core><blockchain-fork><soft-fork>
What is the difference between 51% attack fork, hard fork and soft fork?
Tavish Aggarwal
# What is the difference between 51% attack fork, hard fork and soft fork?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-08-08)

I am confused between the forking that can be created because of the 51% attack and the soft fork and hard fork.

Does forks because of 51% attack can also lead to new crypto currency creation?

**Tags:** bitcoin-core, blockchain-fork, soft-fork

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I came across the link https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/bitcoin-fork-undergoes-51-attack-settlement-assurances-matter-2021-08-05 where bitcoin fork undergo 51% attack.  
> **username_1**: The Nasdaq article is about a 51% attack on BSV, not on Bitcoin (BTC). I personally would be careful not to assume that what happened to BSV could happen to BTC or that if it did happen, the results would be similar.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-08-08. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

Any forking that results from a 51% attack is a fork of the blockchain. It is a fork in the data, not in the rules.

The phrases "hard fork" and "soft fork" usually refer to a fork in the Bitcoin rules. So that is a fork due to software changes that implement either a change in the so-called consensus rules or a change in the network protocol.

So they are different in that way.

So far as I know, there has never been a successful 51% attack in Bitcoin, so I don't think we can say for certain what a long term outcome might look like. I guess that all blockchain forks are eventually resolved one way or another.

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See [What is a soft fork? What is a hard fork? What are their differences?](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/30817/13866)

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Arguably, every softfork is technically indistinguishable from a 51% attack of the upgraded miners on the non-upgraded miners. The distinction between calling it an attack or a soft-fork change is social (but relevant!) - and depends on whether nodes (and ultimately the community) go along with the change (and help enforce it).  

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