21CTO

Jan 24, 2026 · Databases

Is MySQL at a Crossroads? Community Weighs Forking Options Amid Oracle Uncertainty

Amid growing concerns over Oracle's waning interest and recent layoffs in the MySQL core team, developers gathered in San Francisco to debate the database's future, weighing continued Oracle stewardship against creating open‑source forks such as hard‑forks like MariaDB or tracking forks like Percona's server.