Bitcoin Community Slams Developer's Plan to Split Blockchain and Reassign Satoshi's Coins

Veteran Bitcoin developer Paul Sztorc has been attempting to reform the cryptocurrency's architecture since 2015, but his latest proposal, eCash, has been met with fierce resistance from the community. The plan involves creating a new blockchain, eCash, by copying Bitcoin's code and launching it in August 2026, with existing bitcoin holders receiving equivalent tokens on the new network. However, the proposal also includes reassigning coins linked to Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin's mysterious founder, to attract investors before the fork, a move that has been widely criticized as 'theft'. A hard fork is a radical change to a blockchain, resulting in a split, with the new chain sharing the original's history but operating under its own rules and features. Sztorc's eCash hard fork would introduce Drivechains, a scaling architecture that enables seamless movement of BTC between the main chain and sidechains. The community has expressed concerns over the precedent set by reassigning Satoshi's coins, with some arguing it could put everyone's BTC holdings at risk. The proposed fork has sparked a heated debate, with some accusing Sztorc of attempting to 'steal' coins and misrepresenting the Bitcoin Cash fork.