<p>Ultimately I believe the chain with most work should be the valid one, suppressing all other chains. In fact if you use an SPV client, such as MultiBit, you don't even check the size of the block, because you only use the headers. So if that's the rule, your money will only ever be in one chain: the one where most computing power was used to generate it.</p>

<p>PoW is entirely democratic: people vote with their computing power and if more people decide they want different protocol rules, so be it. In fact I would go even further and say that this is much more democratic than a bunch of developers deciding what the Bitcoin protocol should be.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-19T18:45:33.370Z
The "most work" rule only applies if the client accepts that both chains are otherwise valid.  In the event of a hard fork, one client might adopt protocol rules under which the other's chain is not valid, and so won't be considered, even if it has more work.
Nate Eldredge
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-19T19:46:03.620Z
Since the "<8mb" rule is a superset of "<=1mb" rule, is XT's block compatible with both new&old consensus rule? However, the Core's block is compatible with old consensus rule only.
moshaholo
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-19T21:39:08.537Z
@NateEldredge yes but then it becomes debatable whether the client that accepts the chain with "less work" can actually be considered valid, because after all the majority voted (with their computing power) to use the other chain.
Luca Matteis
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-19T16:50:26.333Z
2015-08-19T16:50:26.333Z
Luca Matteis
<p>I have some bitcoin in wallets and online accounts in multiple places. What will happen to this bitcoin if both Core and XT remain indefinitely? Will I own twice as much bitcoin, just in two different currencies?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-20T14:45:55.297Z
You can choose to keep Bitcoin and do not move them after the fork. Then you bitcoin is safe.
moshaholo
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-24T22:06:23.240Z
related: [What is the impact of Bitcoin XT fork on current Bitcoin holders?](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/39142/5406)
Murch
<bitcoin-core><blockchain-fork><bitcoin-xt>
What will happen to my bitcoin if both Core and XT remain indefinitely?
Cory Klein
# What will happen to my bitcoin if both Core and XT remain indefinitely?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-08-19)

I have some bitcoin in wallets and online accounts in multiple places. What will happen to this bitcoin if both Core and XT remain indefinitely? Will I own twice as much bitcoin, just in two different currencies?

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

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: You can choose to keep Bitcoin and do not move them after the fork. Then you bitcoin is safe.  
> **username_2**: related: [What is the impact of Bitcoin XT fork on current Bitcoin holders?](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/q/39142/5406)  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-08-19. Score: 2

Ultimately I believe the chain with most work should be the valid one, suppressing all other chains. In fact if you use an SPV client, such as MultiBit, you don't even check the size of the block, because you only use the headers. So if that's the rule, your money will only ever be in one chain: the one where most computing power was used to generate it.

PoW is entirely democratic: people vote with their computing power and if more people decide they want different protocol rules, so be it. In fact I would go even further and say that this is much more democratic than a bunch of developers deciding what the Bitcoin protocol should be.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: The "most work" rule only applies if the client accepts that both chains are otherwise valid.  In the event of a hard fork, one client might adopt protocol rules under which the other's chain is not valid, and so won't be considered, even if it has more work.  
> **username_1**: Since the "<8mb" rule is a superset of "<=1mb" rule, is XT's block compatible with both new&old consensus rule? However, the Core's block is compatible with old consensus rule only.  
> **username_3**: @username_4 yes but then it becomes debatable whether the client that accepts the chain with "less work" can actually be considered valid, because after all the majority voted (with their computing power) to use the other chain.  

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