Bitcoin Community Condemns Plan to Reassign Satoshi Coins in Proposed eCash Hard Fork

Veteran Bitcoin developer Paul Sztorc has unveiled a plan for a hard fork of the Bitcoin blockchain, dubbed eCash, which would create a new chain with its own tokens and incorporate a scaling architecture known as Drivechains. The proposal, set to take place in August 2026, has been met with criticism from the community, particularly with regards to its funding mechanism, which involves reassigning coins associated with Bitcoin's mysterious founder, Satoshi Nakamoto. The eCash hard fork aims to provide existing bitcoin holders with equivalent tokens on the new network, but the community is objecting to the allocation of Satoshi-linked coins to investors, citing concerns over theft and disrespect. Sztorc argues that this move is necessary to incentivize collaboration and prevent the project from becoming a 'zombie project' or falling under centralized control. However, industry experts, including Peter McCormack and Josh Ellithorpe, have expressed strong opposition to the plan, warning that it sets a dangerous precedent and could potentially put all BTC holdings at risk.