Bitcoin Developer Proposes eCash Hard Fork for 2026

Bitcoin developer Paul Sztorc announced plans Thursday for a hard fork of the Bitcoin network, dubbed eCash, set to launch in August 2026. The proposal, shared on the social media platform X, would duplicate existing Bitcoin balances on a one-to-one basis, allowing holders to receive equivalent eCash tokens while retaining their original BTC. This move aims to create a parallel chain with enhanced scalability features, though it has ignited debate over a plan to reassign portions of Satoshi Nakamoto's long-dormant coins.

Sztorc, known for proposing the Drivechain framework through Bitcoin Improvement Proposals 300 and 301, described eCash as a long-term alternative to address Bitcoin's limitations in speed, throughput, and privacy. The new network would closely mirror Bitcoin Core software, using the same SHA-256 hashing algorithm but starting with a reduced mining difficulty to encourage early participation. It would integrate updates from Bitcoin Core while incorporating Drivechains, sidechain solutions that enable merged mining to secure multiple layer-two networks simultaneously. These include systems for privacy-focused transactions, decentralized exchanges, prediction...