ECX Bitcoin Fork Mines 25,000 Blocks in 13 Hours—But Its Real Test Is Still Ahead

Paul Sztorc’s eCash, or ECX, is designed as a separate Bitcoin-derived blockchain rather than an upgrade to the Bitcoin network. It copies Bitcoin’s ledger at designated snapshots and runs its own SHA-256 proof-of-work chain. Under the reported allocation plan, a person holding 1 BTC in self-custody at the relevant snapshot would receive 1 ECX while retaining the original BTC. 6

The project’s early data showed that miners were willing to support the Alpha network. But those numbers demonstrate initial technical participation—not a proven market, lasting security budget, or durable demand.

What happened during the ECX Alpha launch?

ECX Alpha activated on August 23, 2026, at Bitcoin block height 963,648. Starting difficulty was set to 1, producing unusually short block intervals at the beginning. Within roughly 13 hours, the network had mined more than 25,092 blocks. 3

That initial burst did not represent a stable long-term block rate. As the chain passed through successive 2,016-block difficulty-adjustment periods, reported difficulty climbed to 16.78 million. Estimated mining power reached 3.53 PH/s in the same reporting window. 3

The figures show how quickly a new proof-of-work chain can move from an intentionally easy launch target to a substantially harder mining environment once participants arrive. They also make the next phase more informative: miners must decide whether continuing to secure ECX is worthwhile after the low-difficulty opportunity has passed.

Which miners and pools participated?

Ecashpool-alpha was reported as the leading pool. Other observed contributors included Kikko, L2L Pool, Nurserypool, Ckpool, Solo, Guilastuce, BIP300.xyz, Layertree, and Avonpool. 3

The reported 3.53 PH/s was compared with the output of roughly 36 Bitmain Antminer S19 units rated at 95 TH/s each, assuming that model across the entire network. That comparison is only illustrative: the miners could have used a mix of SHA-256 hardware, including S19s, S9s, Whatsminers, Sealminers, Bitaxes, and Nerdaxes. 3

Pool names and visible hashpower provide stronger evidence than an announced intention to mine. They still do not establish how much of the hashpower was economically committed, how long it would remain, or whether the network could attract miners after a permanent ECX market formed.

How does ECX differ from the BIP-110 attempt?

The useful distinction is the type of evidence available. Reporting on ECX described observable hashpower and participation from multiple mining pools during Alpha. The same reporting characterized the earlier BIP-110 soft-fork effort as lacking comparable measurable mining backing. 3

That contrast should not be overstated. ECX’s early mining activity is a technical-support signal, not proof of social consensus or economic success. At the time of the Alpha reporting, ECX had no established market price or exchange listing. 3

What does ECX have to do with Drivechain and BIP-300/301?

Sztorc is associated with the Drivechain project and the BIP-300 and BIP-301 proposals. BIP-300 concerns mechanisms for moving assets between Bitcoin and sidechains, while BIP-301 proposed blind merged mining. 5

ECX offers a separate-fork route for pursuing that broader Drivechain-oriented design after the proposals did not activate as a Bitcoin soft fork. The reported plan also described specialized sidechains as part of the intended design. 5

In practical terms, ECX is not simply a change to Bitcoin’s existing rules. It is a new chain using Bitcoin’s history and proof-of-work model as its starting point, with its own rollout, assets, miners, and eventual market test.

How would the 1:1 ECX allocation work?

The proposed distribution is based on snapshots of Bitcoin’s ledger. Most Bitcoin holders who control their own private keys at the relevant snapshot are intended to receive an equivalent ECX balance. The BTC itself is not converted, locked, or transferred merely because ECX is created. 1

The allocation is therefore better understood as a balance copied onto a separate network than as a movement of Bitcoin. Eligibility and operational details still matter, particularly for holders whose BTC is held by a third party rather than in a wallet they control.

ECX rollout schedule

The launch was divided into three stages rather than released as one permanent network:

1. Alpha: August 23, 2026, at Bitcoin block 963,648.
2. Beta: September 20, 2026, at Bitcoin block 967,680.
3. Permanent mainnet: October 31, 2026, at Bitcoin block 973,728. 18

Because the milestones are tied to Bitcoin block heights, the calendar timing can depend slightly on Bitcoin’s block production. 23

Alpha and Beta coins were described as testing-stage assets rather than the final permanent ECX. The reported plan was for coins accumulated during those phases to be burned or redeemed for official ECX after the permanent chain launches. 6

Replay protection was described as optional, which creates an additional operational risk for users moving assets between the two chains. 18

The key question: can early mining support last?

The Alpha results answer one narrow question: people were prepared to mine ECX under launch conditions. They do not answer whether those miners will remain once difficulty stabilizes and the chain’s rewards face normal economic pressure.

Without an established price or exchange listing, ECX had no demonstrated market valuation from which to assess miner revenue or durable demand. 3 The most important milestones to watch are therefore not just block counts, but continued hashpower through Beta, functioning wallets and redemption, market formation, and participation around the October 31 permanent release.

ECX’s first 13 hours were technically notable. Its long-term significance will depend on whether measurable infrastructure and mining participation survive the transition from an experimental launch to a market-backed network.