DAO critics believe Ethereum hard fork is a necessary step

Rage Review : Cornell University computer science professor Emin Gün Sirer believes that the implementation of the hard fork solution is a sign of the maturity of the Ethereum platform. By studying the ins and outs of The DAO, it teaches Ethereum users and users of various currencies a lesson, and at the same time can prevent the same situation from happening again. Gün Sirer co-organized an Ethereum training camp with the Ethereum Foundation and Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin to achieve the goal of expanding the community. Buterin believes that as the community develops, the fork solution will become more and more difficult to implement.

Translation: Nicole

It turns out that Cornell University computer science professor Emin Gün Sirer, who has a knack for finding vulnerabilities in blockchain code, believes the hard fork implemented earlier today is a sign of maturity for the Ethereum platform.

Last month, Cornell University’s Emin Gün Sirer emerged as a leading critic of The DAO, pointing out that vulnerabilities in the code could be studied by ethereum coders to better understand the circumstances and avoid similar situations in the future.

But he was quick to point out that there may still be undiscovered vulnerabilities in the code, and told CoinDesk that even if the weeks of drama end with today’s hard fork, there is reason to be hopeful about ethereum’s future.

Gün Sirer, from an ethereum bootcamp co-hosted by the Ethereum Foundation, said that “chain changes” are in response to community needs, not necessarily because they are weak.

“Hard forks can adapt to this change in an orderly manner and respond to demand,” he told CoinDesk. “Ethereum is just demonstrating it, and I think it’s a necessary stage for Ethereum to mature.”

A lesson for every currency user

After weeks of planning and concerted efforts to achieve consensus among miners on the Ethereum blockchain, a hard fork was implemented today at 14:30 UTC (Universal Time), returning $140 million worth of funds stolen from The DAO to the valid accounts of the original investors.

Emin Gun Sirer

Gün Sirer said that the hard fork proposal should be seen as a growth not only for Ethereum, but also as a lesson for everyone who uses cryptocurrency (or fiat currency).

He specifically pointed out that some digital currency users believe that the length of the blockchain is the source of its value, which is a "blind obsession with long chains" and ignores what really gives currency value.

He said: "The most important lesson that The DAO incident has taught us, at least for me, and I hope it has taught the public, is that the legal currency in my pocket and the digital currency in various wallets are valuable as community property because the community believes in their value."

nonstop

Starting today and running through next week, Gün Sirer is hosting an Ethereum bootcamp with the Ethereum Foundation and Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin to build out the community.

38 guests from around the world attended the event, half of whom were from Cornell University, where the event was held. Coding instructors included Buterin, three other Ethereum Foundation members, and several Cornell employees. Participants ranged from junior developers to senior executives from companies interested in exploring Ethereum.

Vitalik Buterin

But Buterin said that not all building such a strong community will have a positive impact. In an email to CoinDesk, Buterin explained that Ethereum users are lucky because the attack gave them time to respond, but they will not always be so lucky in the future.

“Next time, we won’t have that opportunity. Also, as the community grows, forks will become increasingly difficult to implement,” Buterin wrote.