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Hard Fork and Network Upgrade Inquiries

Hard Fork and Network Upgrade Inquiries

Problem

Customers contact BitGo support to ask about upcoming or recently completed blockchain hard forks and network upgrades (e.g., Bitcoin Gold, Bitcoin Cash, Segwit2x, Ethereum Berlin, Polygon hard fork). They typically want to know whether BitGo supports the forked coin, whether BitGo nodes have been updated, whether service will be interrupted, and whether any user action is required on their end.

Diagnostics

  • Identify which blockchain and specific fork/upgrade the customer is asking about (e.g., Bitcoin Gold, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum Berlin, Polygon Bor upgrade, Segwit2x).
  • Check BitGo's internal engineering channels (e.g., Slack) or status pages for confirmation that nodes have been updated for the specific fork.
  • Determine whether the fork creates a new coin (e.g., Bitcoin Gold from Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash from Bitcoin) or is a protocol upgrade on the same chain (e.g., Ethereum Berlin, Polygon hard fork).
  • Check whether BitGo currently supports the forked coin — consult the supported coins list in the platform documentation.
  • If the customer is asking about accessing forked coin balances (e.g., BTG from a BTC wallet), check whether the legacy wallet recovery tool applies to their situation.

Resolution

Scenario: fork-gold-bitcoin-hard#protocol-upgrade-same-chain

Trigger: Customer asks about a network upgrade (hard fork) on a chain BitGo already supports, where no new coin is created (e.g., Polygon Bor upgrade, Ethereum Berlin upgrade).

Signals: polygon hard fork, ethereum berlin, ETH upgrade, node update, service interruption, bor upgrade, protocol upgrade

Steps:

  1. Confirm with the engineering team (via internal Slack channels) that BitGo nodes have already been updated for the specific upgrade.
  2. If nodes are confirmed updated, inform the customer that BitGo has completed the node update and no action is required on their part.
  3. Reassure the customer that they should be able to continue using the platform as normal without any disruption.
  4. If nodes have NOT yet been updated or the upgrade is still pending, coordinate with engineering to get a timeline and communicate that to the customer.

Notes: For protocol upgrades on the same chain, customers generally do not need to take any action. BitGo handles the node infrastructure updates internally.

"We would like to inform you that our nodes have already been successfully updated. Please be assured that this does not require any action on your part, and you should be able to continue using the platform as normal without any disruption." (ticket #359003)

Scenario: fork-gold-bitcoin-hard#new-forked-coin-support

Trigger: Customer asks whether BitGo supports a newly forked coin (e.g., Bitcoin Gold, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin SV) or how to access forked coin balances.

Signals: bitcoin gold, BTG, bitcoin cash, BCH, BSV, forked coin, fork support, split process, payment of bitcoin gold

Steps:

  1. Check the current supported coins list to confirm whether BitGo supports the forked coin (e.g., BTG, BCH, BSV).
  2. If the coin is supported, direct the customer to the relevant wallet creation and transaction documentation for that coin.
  3. If the customer needs to recover forked coin balances from an older wallet, direct them to the Migrated Legacy Wallet Recoveries tool, which supports Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin SV recovery from pre-fork Bitcoin wallets.
  4. If the forked coin is not supported, inform the customer that BitGo does not currently support the coin and cannot assist with accessing those balances on the BitGo platform.
  5. For Bitcoin Gold (BTG): BitGo does support BTG. BTG implements replay protection similar to Bitcoin Cash, so sending BTG will not accidentally spend BTC.

Notes: The Migrated Legacy Wallet Recoveries tool is only available with older wallet versions (e.g., v3.1.3) and applies specifically to Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin SV. Bitcoin Gold has its own wallet and transaction support within the BitGo platform.

Scenario: fork-gold-bitcoin-hard#fork-policy-inquiry

Trigger: Customer asks about BitGo's general policy or stance regarding upcoming or future hard forks and soft forks (e.g., BIP148 UASF, Segwit2x, general hard fork statements).

Signals: fork policy, hard fork statement, BIP148, UASF, soft fork plans, upcoming fork, prepping for fork, segwit2x

Steps:

  1. Check whether BitGo has published any official communication or blog post regarding the specific fork in question.
  2. If an official statement exists, share the relevant link or summarize the position for the customer.
  3. If no official statement exists, escalate to the communications or product team to determine whether a public statement will be issued.
  4. In general, advise the customer that BitGo monitors all significant network events and will communicate any required actions or service impacts in advance.

Notes: BitGo's approach to forks varies case by case depending on community consensus, security considerations, and market viability of the forked chain. Do not make guarantees about future fork support without official confirmation.

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