The success of Ethereum 's recent " hard fork , " taken up by 85 % of users , has demonstrated how its smaller size and ability to make decisions quickly has given it the edge over fellow digital currency Bitcoin . " The hard fork split the currency into two versions , which users had to choose between , to get back millions of dollars that were stolen from a crowd - directed hedge fund called the DAO in June . David Buterin , Ethereum 's inventor , said the biggest difference between the two cryptocurrencies was " the protocols ' communities " . While Ethereum has come to a consensus over issues such as hard forking easily and quickly , Bitcoin is " riven , " with any compromise viewed as divisive , something Stephan Tual , co - designer of the DAO said " spells doom for the currency . "
The success of Ethereum 's recent " hard fork , " taken up by 85 % of users , has demonstrated how its smaller size and ability to make decisions quickly has given it the edge over fellow digital currency Bitcoin . The hard fork split the currency into two versions , which users had to choose between , to get back millions of dollars that were stolen from a crowd - directed hedge fund called the DAO in June . David Buterin , Ethereum 's inventor , said the biggest difference between the two cryptocurrencies was " the protocols ' communities " . While Ethereum has come to a consensus over issues such as hard forking easily and quickly , Bitcoin is " riven , " with any compromise viewed as divisive , something Stephan Tual , co - designer of the DAO said " spells doom for the currency . "