Can a Fork Lead to Security Vulnerabilities in a Cryptocurrency Network?

Yes, a fork can introduce significant security vulnerabilities. One of the most common risks is a replay attack, where a transaction on one of the forked chains is maliciously duplicated and executed on the other chain.

This can lead to the unintended loss of funds if proper replay protection is not implemented. Additionally, the hash power of the original network is split between the two new chains, which can make both more susceptible to a 51% attack, especially in the early stages when the new chain's network is smaller and less secure.