Bitcoin developer and LayerTwo Labs head Paul Sztorc has unveiled a plan to launch eCash—a new Bitcoin hard fork scheduled for August 2026. BTC holders will receive coins on the new network at a 1:1 ratio. However, the main controversy was not the fork itself, but the decision to redistribute part of the eCash associated with Satoshi Nakamoto addresses.
According to Sztorc, BTC on the main network will remain untouched. The discussion concerns only the coins in the new eCash chain. But critics believe that even this decision creates a dangerous precedent and violates the fundamental logic of ownership inviolability.
Ecash Wants To Be the New Bitcoin Fork
Sztorc stated that eCash will be almost a copy of Bitcoin Core at the L1 level. The network will use SHA-256d mining and a one-time difficulty reset at launch. Bitcoin holders will be able to receive the same amount of eCash and then sell, hold, or simply ignore the new coins.
The project also plans to include BIP300 and BIP301 proposals related to drivechains. Several additional layers are already in development, including solutions for prediction markets, decentralized trading, identification, NFTs, and quantum resistance.
The Main Dispute Is Over Satoshi’s Coins
The most controversial part of the plan concerns coins commonly associated with Satoshi Nakamoto. It is estimated that the so-called patoshi pattern may contain about 1.1 million BTC. Sztorc proposed manually redistributing part of the corresponding eCash in the new network, sending about 600,000 coins to investors.
This idea triggered a strong reaction. Critics argue that balances should not be changed, even if it is not BTC but coins of a new fork. For them, the logic of interfering with distribution itself looks like a violation of the principle of ownership.
Sztorc Insists That No One Is Touching BTC
The developer specifically emphasized that eCash cannot affect real bitcoins. To move BTC, you need the keys to bitcoin addresses and to work with the main network, and the eCash team has neither. According to him, new coins are created in a new network, not assets withdrawn from Bitcoin.
This is a legally and technically important distinction. But the community debate is not only about the technical side. For many participants, the issue looks philosophical: does a new chain have the right to rewrite ownership history, even if it does not affect the original bitcoin?
Critics Call This a Dangerous Precedent
Some market participants are already urging caution regarding future eCash coins. The harshest commentators call the idea “theft” and believe that redistributing Satoshi’s addresses undermines trust in the project even before launch.
The main argument of opponents is simple. If developers can manually decide that part of the coins in the new network should be given to other participants, then the principle of balance immutability no longer works. And for bitcoin culture, this is almost a red line.
The Satoshi Question Remains Painful for the Market
Coins associated with Satoshi have long been a source of controversy. Some believe they should remain untouched because they are part of bitcoin’s history. Others allow intervention in extreme cases, such as a future quantum threat.
But the eCash plan differs from theoretical security discussions. Here, it is not about protecting the network but about distributing new fork coins among investors. That is why the reaction was so strong.
Ecash Tries To Stand Apart From Bitcoin Cash
Sztorc positions eCash as a deeper fork than Bitcoin Cash in 2017. While BCH focused on block size, eCash wants to include drivechains and create a broader application ecosystem around a bitcoin-like L1.
This is an ambitious claim. But the dispute over Satoshi’s coins may overshadow the technical side of the project. For bitcoin forks, community trust is often more important than the feature set.
What Is Next?
The eCash launch is scheduled for August 2026, and until then, the debate will likely only intensify. The team will have to explain why redistributing part of the “Satoshi coins” in the new network does not undermine the stated idea of the project. Without this, eCash risks facing distrust even before launch.
For now, the main takeaway is this: technically, BTC is not affected, but reputational risk has already emerged. For the bitcoin community, the issue of ownership is more important than distribution convenience, and this may become the main obstacle for eCash.
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