Bitcoin Developer Proposes eCash Hard Fork, Community Raises Concerns Over Satoshi Coin Reassignment

Veteran Bitcoin developer Paul Sztorc has unveiled a plan to launch a hard fork of the Bitcoin blockchain, dubbed eCash, in August 2026. The proposed fork would create a new chain, giving existing bitcoin holders equivalent tokens, and introduce a scaling architecture called Drivechains. However, the community is up in arms over the plan to reassign coins linked to Bitcoin's mysterious founder, Satoshi Nakamoto, with some labeling it as 'theft'. The eCash hard fork would essentially create a parallel chain to Bitcoin, with its own set of rules and features, allowing for greater flexibility and scalability. The introduction of Drivechains, a concept first proposed by Sztorc in 2015, would enable seamless movement of BTC between the main chain and sidechains, without altering Bitcoin's base layer. Seven Drivechains are already in development, including a privacy chain and a decentralized exchange. The plan to use coins that would have gone to Satoshi Nakamoto's equivalent addresses on the new eCash chain to attract investors has sparked outrage, with many questioning the morality and legality of such a move. The community's response has been overwhelmingly negative, with some arguing that it sets a dangerous precedent and could potentially put everyone's BTC holdings at risk.