Beyond Immutability: Ethereum Classic Maps a Way Forward

In a recent talk at CoinDesk's developer-only conference Construct, developer Elaine Ou outlined how ethereum classic differs from ethereum, the blockchain that split from its original developers over an ideological disagreement last year.

While ridiculed as a 'protest chain' for its original commitment to 'immutability', one of the more interesting elements of Ou's talk was her claim that ethereum classic has been forging ahead by differentiating itself from ethereum in other key technical ways.

In a statement released on Wednesday, various interest groups supporting ethereum classic announced their support for a proposed monetary policy, or set of rules governing how the protocol's digital tokens are dispersed.

The code issued on ethereum classic after the split has remained in step with the ethereum project, as the classic team has been copying over many of ethereum's code changes.

With the news on monetary policy, ethereum classic is taking a nibble at legitimacy.

One of the best examples of ethereum classic's upward progress, and continued controversy, is that investment company DCG proposed an investment fund that would support ethereum classic projects.

Ethereum classic arguably took its first step on this path when it carried out a hard fork to postpone the so-called difficulty bomb that's built into the ethereum codebase.

Ethereum classic has become the poster child for what can happen when a protocol forks - and its actions now could go a long way to establishin precedent for other contentious chains.

"One of the biggest contentions in the debate between ethereum and ethereum classic is basically who gets to control the system. With ethereum, that's the Ethereum Foundation. They control the money, they have the developers and they have the crowdsale mandate."

Arguably, the Ethereum Foundation hasn't delivered on its promises here, and Ou claims that ethereum classic might go a different route.