eCash Fork Launches Alpha Chain Ahead of October Deadline

The eCash fork is still on schedule to launch by October 31, but several key issues remain unresolved for Bitcoin holders and exchanges. On August 23, the project's Alpha chain produced practice pECX (permanent ECX) at height 963,648, while the final software, replay rules, and exchange handling are still up in the air.

The eCash fork will create a separate ECX asset for Bitcoin holders, crediting them with permanent ECX on the new chain. However, the practice pECX produced by the Alpha chain is not the same as the permanent 1:1 balance that will be copied from Bitcoin. Founder Paul Sztorc stated that 1,000 pECX can be redeemed for 10 ECX at Mainnet.

The project's revised schedule has three stages: Alpha (roughly 963,648 on August 23), Beta (near 967,680 on September 20), and permanent Mainnet (near 973,728 on October 31). The integration guide still treats 963,648 as the production fork point and labels key values as drynet4 parameters.

The eCash fork's August 23 Alpha stage was a rehearsal rather than a permanent allocation event. Bitcoin ownership did not change, practice pECX is not permanent ECX, and public exchange notices did not show a universal freeze of Bitcoin services. For miners, wallets, and exchanges, the next production target is October 31.