Bitcoin Developer's Plan to Create New Blockchain, eCash, Sparks Controversy Over Satoshi Coin Reassignment

A long-time Bitcoin developer, Paul Sztorc, has unveiled a plan to create a new blockchain, called eCash, through a hard fork in August 2026. The proposed fork will give existing bitcoin holders equivalent tokens in the new network. However, the plan to reassign coins linked to Bitcoin's founder, Satoshi Nakamoto, has sparked outrage in the community, with some calling it theft. The eCash blockchain will be a near-copy of Bitcoin's existing blockchain, with the addition of Drivechains, a scaling architecture that allows for seamless movement of BTC between the main chain and sidechains. Sztorc's plan involves using coins that would have gone to Satoshi Nakamoto's equivalent addresses on the new eCash chain to attract investors before the fork goes live. The community has responded negatively, with concerns about the precedent it sets and the potential risk to everyone's BTC holdings. The proposed hard fork has been compared to a railway line splitting into two, with the new chain having its own rules, features, and token.