Are these cryptocurrencies simply speculative bubbles or will they actually transform our financial system? Citibank estimates that the bitcoin network will eventually consume roughly the same amount of electricity as Japan. As the bitcoin network has grown, it’s hit problems. With names like Bitcoin Classic, Bitcoin Unlimited, and Bitcoin Gold, each claims that it is the true heir to the original vision – but with each fork, the playing field becomes more crowded. Nothing is destroyed with each fork: if you had 100 bitcoin before Bitcoin Cash split off, after the split you still had 100 bitcoin and you had 100 Bitcoin Cash.

Source: The Guardian November 11, 2017 18:56 UTC