Bitcoin Community Condemns Proposed eCash Hard Fork as 'Theft'

Veteran Bitcoin developer Paul Sztorc has unveiled a contentious plan to initiate a hard fork of the Bitcoin blockchain in August 2026, dubbed eCash. This proposed fork aims to create a parallel chain, offering existing BTC holders equivalent tokens in the new network. However, the community is up in arms over the funding aspect, which involves reallocating coins associated with Bitcoin's elusive founder, Satoshi Nakamoto. The eCash hard fork is designed to incorporate Drivechains, a scaling architecture that enables seamless movement of BTC between the main chain and sidechains. Sztorc's proposal has been met with fierce criticism, with many labeling the reassignment of Satoshi's coins as 'theft'. The community is concerned that this move sets a dangerous precedent, potentially jeopardizing the security of all BTC holdings.