GMO Coin Warns of Potential Service Disruptions Ahead of eCash Rollout

Crypto exchange GMO Coin has warned its customers of potential service disruptions due to the upcoming eCash rollout, which plans to credit holders with a separate ECX asset.

eCash is a new Bitcoin-derived chain that aims to issue ECX tokens to existing Bitcoin holders. The project's roadmap estimates the Alpha stage, which will take place around midnight Japan time on August 23 at block 963,648, will be followed by Beta at block 967,680 around September 20 and Mainnet at block 973,728 around October 31.

GMO Coin has not confirmed whether the Alpha snapshot will trigger a pause in services or how long any interruption could last. The exchange's notice states that customers may face suspension of Bitcoin spot trading through GMO's dealer and exchange services, $BTC/JPY crypto FX and leveraged trading, plus $BTC deposits and withdrawals.

The eCash rollout has raised concerns about replay safety and market stability due to the new chain's use of the same address formats as Bitcoin and its opt-in replay protection. GMO Coin warned that volatility and thin liquidity could widen spreads or contribute to margin calls and forced sales, while early chain instability could lead to transaction reversals.