Bitcoin Developer Proposes eCash Hard Fork, Sparking Controversy Over Satoshi Coin Reassignment

Veteran Bitcoin developer Paul Sztorc has put forth a proposal for a 2026 hard fork, dubbed eCash, which would create a new blockchain and provide existing bitcoin holders with equivalent tokens. However, the community is up in arms over the plan to reassign coins linked to Bitcoin's mysterious founder, Satoshi Nakamoto, with some labeling it as outright theft. The proposed hard fork, slated for August 2026, aims to introduce Drivechains, a scaling architecture that would enable seamless movement of BTC between the main chain and sidechains. While Sztorc believes this move is necessary to bring investors on board, others argue it sets a dangerous precedent and could potentially put everyone's BTC holdings at risk.