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

Veteran Bitcoin developer Paul Sztorc has unveiled a contentious plan to create a new version of the Bitcoin blockchain, called eCash, which would involve copying the existing code and launching a separate chain in August 2026. As part of this proposal, Sztorc intends to give existing bitcoin holders equivalent tokens on the new network, free of charge. However, the community is up in arms over the funding aspect, which involves reassigning coins associated with Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin's elusive founder. The proposed hard fork has sparked heated debate, with some critics labeling it as outright theft. Sztorc's plan aims to bring investors on board before the fork goes live by utilizing coins that would have been allocated to Satoshi's equivalent addresses on the eCash chain. This decision has been met with widespread criticism, with many arguing that it sets a dangerous precedent and could potentially put all bitcoin holdings at risk. The eCash hard fork is slated to occur at Bitcoin block height 964,000 in August 2026, with a coin-splitter tool to be released to facilitate the separation of BTC from eCash. The new chain will be a near-identical copy of the existing Bitcoin blockchain, with the addition of Drivechains, a scaling architecture that enables seamless movement of BTC between the main chain and sidechains. Drivechains, first proposed by Sztorc in 2015, allow developers to build new capabilities on top of Bitcoin without requiring the entire network to adopt those changes. Seven Drivechains are already in development, including a privacy chain modeled on Zcash and a decentralized exchange called CoinShift. Despite the potential benefits of the eCash hard fork, the community remains deeply divided, with many opposing the plan to reassign Satoshi coins and warning of the potential consequences.