Bitcoin Developer Proposes eCash Fork to Distribute Satoshi-Linked Coins

Highlights:

• Paul Sztorc has proposed an eCash fork to distribute Satoshi coins to early investors.
• The fork will introduce Drivechains for scaling, a feature he had proposed earlier to the community.
• The plan has raised concerns about ownership rights and fairness in the BTC community.

Bitcoin developer Paul Sztorc proposed an eCash hard fork that reallocates Satoshi-linked coins to early investors. Paul Sztorc plans to launch the eCash hard fork in August this year at Bitcoin block height 964,000. The plan assigns up to half of 1.1 million BTC equivalent from Patoshi wallets to investors before launch. These Patoshi wallets belong to early Bitcoin mining activity attributed to Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin’s creator.

BITCOIN DEVELOPER PROPOSES FORK TO REDISTRIBUTE SATOSHI'S 1.1M BTC

Long-time Bitcoin developer Paul Sztorc has proposed a hard fork called eCash, scheduled for August 2026, that would create an entirely new chain copied from Bitcoin's existing code.

According to the proposal,… pic.twitter.com/iqTWSpL9DY

— BSCN (@BSCNews) April 27, 2026

Sztorc said he designed the allocation to attract developers and investors before the network launches. Sztorc said projects without early funding often launch incompletely because developers lack incentives before deployment. He said the allocation ensures contributors build the network before users access it. He also said users will receive full control over their eCash tokens after distribution.

The plan challenges Bitcoin’s principle that only private key holders control coins. Critics, including Bitcoin users and developers, said Sztorc should not reassign coins linked to unknown owners. The identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, who controls the Patoshi wallets, remains unknown since Bitcoin’s launch.

eCash Fork Structure Sets August Launch Timeline

Paul Sztorc plans to execute the eCash fork to create a new blockchain that copies Bitcoin’s full transaction history up to that block. Bitcoin holders at the snapshot will receive eCash tokens at a 1:1 ratio.

The new chain will run on a near-identical version of Bitcoin Core software. The network will use the SHA-256 mining algorithm used by Bitcoin. Sztorc set the initial mining difficulty to a minimal level to allow miners to join easily at launch. He said this change will help secure the network during the early stages.

Sztorc designed the project to include Drivechains as its main scaling feature. Drivechains allow users to move BTC between the main blockchain and sidechains without changing the base layer. Each Drivechain sidechain can support features like privacy, trading, or identity using its own rules. This design allows developers to build features without changing Bitcoin’s base protocol or requiring approval.

Sztorc first proposed Drivechains through BIP-300 and BIP-301 to Bitcoin developers. The developers debated these proposals for years but did not adopt them. Sztorc now plans to implement Drivechains directly through the eCash network after rejection.

The project includes seven planned sidechains at launch. These include a privacy-focused chain, a decentralized exchange, and a prediction market platform. Other planned sidechains will support NFTs, identity systems, and a quantum-resistant network called Photon for security.

Sztorc removed the word “Bitcoin” from the eCash name to avoid confusion with Bitcoin Cash. Sztorc said eCash uses Drivechains to solve Bitcoin’s scaling limits and expand features without changing the main blockchain.

Bitcoin Users Reject Satoshi Coin Allocation Plan

Some members of the Bitcoin community have criticized the plan to reassign BTC owned by Satoshi to investors. Peter McCormack said the eCash fork move by Paul Sztorc violates the ownership principles of Bitcoin.

Outside of whatever drama may unfold:
1. Taking Satoshi coins is theft and disrespectful.
2. eCash is already used for Lightning payments with Cashu and Fedi.

Those are poor choices.

— Peter McCormack 🏴‍☠️🇬🇧🇮🇪 (@PeterMcCormack) April 24, 2026

He said, “Taking Satoshi’s coins is theft and disrespect. Moreover, eCash is already used for Lightning payments in Cashu and Fedi.” Josh Ellithorpe, the chief technology officer at Pixelated Ink, said the plan sets a dangerous precedent that may lead to coins being reallocated without consent.