Part 13/19:
Transitioning between versions involves a carefully orchestrated process. For example, the introduction of BIP 66—a standard for strict digital signatures—was implemented via a soft fork, which required the majority of miners to support the change. During this period, some miners attempted shortcuts, bypassing full validation to save time. Their actions led to temporary forks and financial penalties, emphasizing that deviating from consensus rules results in wasted effort and economic loss.
The robustness of Bitcoin’s system is demonstrated by its self-healing capacity: conflicting branches are resolved through continued mining, ultimately favoring the chain with the highest cumulative work, preserving transaction integrity across the global network.