The Bitcoin Cash hard fork was a hard fork that occurred on August 1, 2017. The hard fork resulted in two separate cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Bitcoin Core (BTC).
Bitcoin Cash is a direct split from the original Bitcoin blockchain, while Bitcoin Core is a new cryptocurrency that has emerged as a result of the hard fork.
The hard fork was the result of a disagreement among the Bitcoin community over how to scale the cryptocurrency. Bitcoin Cash proponents favored increasing the block size limit to 8MB, while Bitcoin Core proponents favored Segwit2x, a proposal to increase the block size limit to 2MB and implement Segwit.
This hard fork is a highly technical process that should not be attempted by any individuals who do not have extensive knowledge of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. This process can result in serious financial losses if done incorrectly, so it is highly recommended that you consult with a professional before attempting to perform the hard fork. Additionally, there is no guarantee that this hard fork will be successful and it could potentially lead to problems with the Bitcoin Cash network in the future.
The disagreement led to a split in the community, with each side supporting their respective scaling solution. The hard fork occurred when users running the Bitcoin Cash software switched to a new set of rules that were not compatible with the Bitcoin Core software.
This created two separate blockchain histories and two separate cryptocurrencies.
Bitcoin Cash has since become one of the most popular cryptocurrencies, with a market capitalization of over $4 billion as of June 2018. It has also been embraced by many businesses and exchanges as a legitimate form of payment.
The hard fork that created Bitcoin Cash was contentious and resulted in a split in the community. However, it has also led to the creation of a successful new cryptocurrency with a large market capitalization and widespread adoption.