Not a theft, but a statement: Inside the Bitcoin proposal to reassign Satoshi-linked coins
A proposed Bitcoin fork called eCash plans to copy Bitcoin's ledger in August but redirect about 500,000 forked coins linked to Satoshi Nakamoto to early investors, sparking backlash over property rights. Critics argue the move sets a dangerous precedent by reallocating balances on a forked chain, even though actual BTC remains untouched. Paul Sztorc, the developer behind eCash, defends the plan as a way to fund innovation and pressure Bitcoin Core to adopt his stalled Drivechains proposal. The debate centers on immutability, moral legitimacy, and whether dormant coins should be treated differently in forked networks.
- ▪The eCash fork, scheduled for August 2026, will copy Bitcoin’s ledger but redirect 500,000 of the 1.1 million forked coins attributed to Satoshi Nakamoto to project investors.
- ▪Paul Sztorc emphasizes that no actual Bitcoin will be moved, as the redistribution only affects the new eCash chain, not the Bitcoin network itself.
- ▪Critics, including mining executives and Bitcoin advocates, argue that reallocating any portion of Satoshi’s holdings—even on a fork—violates Bitcoin’s principle of inviolable property rights.
- ▪The proposal is tied to Sztorc’s long-standing Drivechains initiative, which has not been adopted by Bitcoin Core, and the fork serves as both an alternative and a pressure tactic.
- ▪The controversy echoes broader debates about handling dormant and quantum-vulnerable addresses, raising concerns about precedents for future interventions in Bitcoin’s ecosystem.
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TechShareShare this articleCopy linkX iconX (Twitter)LinkedInFacebookEmailNot a theft, but a statement: Inside the Bitcoin proposal to reassign Satoshi-linked coinsPaul Sztorc says he can't move a single sat of Satoshi's bitcoin and isn't trying to. But critics say rewriting forked-chain balances at addresses a user does not control sets a bad precedent.By Shaurya Malwa|Edited by Jamie Crawley Apr 28, 2026, 2:41 p.m. Make preferred on What to know: A planned August fork called eCash would copy Bitcoin’s ledger and give existing BTC holders equivalent balances on a new chain, while diverting about 500,000 forked coins attributed to Satoshi Nakamoto to early investors.Critics say the plan violates Bitcoin’s core ethic of inviolable property rights by reallocating Satoshi’s famously…
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