Fork detection is like checking both sides of the road before crossing—except here you’re watching multiple blockchains for divergence. By tracking block hashes, node operators can identify if a chain split has occurred, whether from an accidental software bug or a contentious rule change. Tools that compare your local chain tip to known explorers or multiple peers can warn if you’re on a shorter fork.

Staying aware of forks is essential for miners (they want to mine on the majority chain) and anyone handling large transactions (to avoid confirmations on a minority chain). During heated debates, users may choose which chain’s rules they want to follow, essentially voting with their node software.