eCash Tests Begin as October 31 Mainnet Launch Looms

eCash, a Bitcoin hard fork project, has launched its Alpha phase on August 23 at block 963,648. This marks the beginning of a series of tests to prepare for the eventual mainnet launch.

The current test chain produces its own blocks in parallel with Bitcoin, but it is not yet a permanent replacement. The coins created during this period are called pECX and are intended for testing purposes only.

The eCash project aims to start from Bitcoin's history and continue with its own rules. It is led by Paul Sztorc, known for his work on Drivechain and BIP-300 and BIP-301.

The Alpha phase has shown that the new chain can produce blocks, but it is not yet a stable network. A competing block was observed to become obsolete around the activation height.