Bitcoin Developer Proposes Controversial Hard Fork, eCash, Amid Community Backlash

A long-standing Bitcoin developer, Paul Sztorc, has unveiled a proposal for a hard fork of the Bitcoin blockchain, dubbed eCash, scheduled for August 2026. The new chain will be a near-replica of the existing Bitcoin blockchain, with the addition of Drivechains, a scaling solution Sztorc first introduced in 2015. However, the community is up in arms over the proposal to reassign coins linked to Bitcoin's founder, Satoshi Nakamoto, to investors, with many calling it theft. The hard fork will create a new chain, eCash, with its native tokens, and holders of Bitcoin will receive equivalent tokens on the new network. The proposal has sparked intense debate, with some arguing it sets a dangerous precedent and could potentially put all Bitcoin holdings at risk. 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's response has been overwhelmingly negative, with many expressing concerns over the precedent it sets and the potential risks it poses to the entire Bitcoin ecosystem.