Bitcoin developer Paul Sztorc announced on Friday that a new hard fork of the Bitcoin network called eCash will deploy in August, drawing swift and divided reactions from the Bitcoin community.
What eCash would look like
Sztorc said in an X post that Bitcoin holders will be able to exchange their BTC for eCash at a 1:1 ratio once the fork goes live.
The layer-1 node software will be a near-copy of the Bitcoin Core client and will use the same SHA-256 hashing algorithm as Bitcoin, but with a reduced initial mining difficulty to make block production more accessible.
The new chain will also include seven layer-2 scaling networks called “drivechains,” designed to increase transaction throughput and offer optional on-chain privacy.
Sztorc distanced eCash from prior hard fork attempts, including Bitcoin Cash, which launched in 2017 but never displaced the main chain.
He stated:
“Unlike BCH, the 2017 fork, there is no ‘Bitcoin’ in the name. This is a permanent and sustainable fix to Bitcoin’s problems.”
Satoshi coins and community backlash
One of the more contentious elements of the announcement was Sztorc’s plan to “manually” reassign a portion of Satoshi Nakamoto’s estimated 1.1 million BTC to early investors.
Bitcoin advocate Peter McCormack pushed back sharply, saying:
“Taking Satoshi coins is theft and disrespectful, and eCash is already used for Lightning payments with Cashu and Fedi. Those are poor choices.”
Another Bitcoin advocate, PakoVM, was equally dismissive:
“I give you two or three years to fold completely.”
The broader context
The announcement arrives amid a growing debate over Bitcoin’s technical roadmap, including whether the protocol should add privacy-preserving features and post-quantum resistance.
Sztorc argued that sentiment around Bitcoin’s existing scaling solution has shifted, saying:
“Back in 2017, the Bitcoin tech stack was strong, and expectations for Lightning were strong. Today, it is the reverse.”
The Bitcoin Lightning Network is a layer-2 solution that allows transactions to settle in seconds rather than waiting for the roughly 10-minute Bitcoin block time.
