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CryptoMediumUpdated•Originally published 24 April 2026•Updated 26 April 2026•

1 min read

Bitcoin Developer Paul Sztorc Announces eCash Hard Fork and New Layer-2 Networks

Key Facts

1Bitcoin developer Paul Sztorc announced a hard fork of the BTC network to create a new cryptocurrency called eCash.

2The hard fork will introduce a competing layer-1 blockchain and seven layer-2 scaling networks.

Prominent Bitcoin developer Paul Sztorc, the architect behind BIP-300 and drivechain technology, has announced a hard fork of the Bitcoin network to launch a new cryptocurrency called eCash. The project plans to introduce a competing layer-1 blockchain supported by seven dedicated layer-2 scaling networks. In a controversial move, Sztorc revealed plans to manually reassign a portion of Satoshi Nakamoto's original dormant Bitcoin holdings to new project investors. This redistribution strategy aims to bootstrap the new ecosystem but has sparked significant debate regarding its impact on the principles of decentralization. Analysts are closely monitoring how this development will affect BTC market dominance and investor sentiment. This update marks a contentious shift in the ongoing evolution of blockchain scaling solutions.

about 1 month ago

Version History

1 additional source confirmed this story

Version 1about 1 month ago

What changed: The story was updated to include controversial details regarding the manual redistribution of Satoshi Nakamoto's BTC holdings and the project's link to BIP-300.