Hybrid [Meaning: see profile] "Why eCash (ECX) is being launched in three phases starting August 23" eCash (ECX) is scheduled for release in three stages: Alpha on August 23, Beta on September 20, and Full Release on October 31. Each phase is triggered by Bitcoin block height, not by calendar date. Alpha is set to begin at block 963,648; Beta at block 967,680; and Full Release at block 973,728. Actual dates and times may vary slightly depending on Bitcoin’s block generation rate. A notable aspect of this release approach is that real, usable coins are allocated during both Alpha and Beta phases. During the Alpha snapshot on August 23, anyone holding $BTC will receive 1 pECX (practice ECX) per 1 BTC. pECX is an asset designed for users to directly experience eCash by sending, splitting, and trading it on the network. pECX acquired during Alpha and Beta will be seamlessly converted into actual ECX after the Full Release on October 31. According to Paul Sztorc’s published plan, pECX will be burned and exchanged for permanent ECX. [Why a 12-week phased launch?] The timeline from Alpha to Full Release spans approximately 12 weeks. On August 23, during Alpha, the first fork will activate, enabling pECX transfers, splits, and trades. By September 20, entering Beta, the focus shifts to integrating exchanges, wallets, and developers, creating a live-use environment. The project notes that trading activity during this phase may help establish pECX’s market price. On October 31, the Full Release will occur. At Bitcoin block 973,728, permanent ECX will be issued. pECX used during Alpha and Beta will be converted to ECX through a separate burn-and-exchange process. October 31 also coincides with the anniversary of Bitcoin’s original whitepaper release. October 31, 2026, marks the 18th anniversary of the Bitcoin whitepaper. [eCash is preparing more than just ECX] eCash is a Bitcoin hard fork developed by LayerTwo Labs. It inherits Bitcoin’s transaction history to create a separate chain, activating BIP 300 and BIP 301 to enable Drivechain functionality. The official eCash mobile wallet repository also describes ECX as a LayerTwo Labs Bitcoin hard fork that activates Drivechain (BIP 300/301). Drivechain is a proposed technology enabling Bitcoin to operate alongside multiple sidechains. BIP 300 defines Hashrate Escrows. It governs the process of sending BTC to sidechains and withdrawing it back to L1. Withdrawals from L2 to L1 are designed to rely on proof-of-work and miner approval rather than fixed federations or specific public key sets. BIP 300 also defines six message types for sidechain proposal, approval, deposit, and withdrawal. BIP 300 is currently in Draft status. BIP 301 handles Blind Merged Mining (BMM). It enables sidechain users to propose blocks and bid to Bitcoin miners, who can then approve those blocks and collect fees without directly running the sidechain’s full nodes. BIP 301 also describes how SHA-256d miners can earn transaction fees from another blockchain without executing its new software directly. BIP 301 is also currently in Draft status. eCash directly activates both of these functions via its own Bitcoin hard fork. Therefore, what can be observed during Alpha and Beta extends beyond just ECX transfers. The entire ecosystem—including nodes, mining infrastructure, wallets, exchanges, and the underlying Drivechain L2 layer—is being tested and integrated. [Seven Drivechain L2s being prepared for launch] As updated in the eCash Integration Guide on August 11, 2026, seven Drivechain L2s are slated for launch: - Thunder - zSide - BitNames - BitAssets - Truthcoin - Photon - CoinShift In the current development environment, drynet4 is actively running to allow testing of nodes, wallets, explorers, APIs, mining, and all these L2s together. drynet4 is a dry-run network designed to simulate the eCash environment before mainnet launch. As of August 11, the Integration Guide lists drynet4 as live and provides access to eCash nodes, explorers, public mining pools, and other developer resources. Wallet development is also underway in parallel.https://t.co/5MV6EfQoyu is a self-custody mobile wallet under development for iOS and Android. It is designed to support multiple wallets and multiple networks and is currently marked as pre-release in the public repository. BitWindow is also available for PC. BitWindow is a Bitcoin Core frontend that integrates Drivechain support, wallet functionality, sidechains, and Blind Merged Mining into a single application. [How ECX is Allocated to BTC Holders] In the eCash fork, ECX is allocated on a 1:1 basis based on Bitcoin addresses at the snapshot time. For example, if you hold 0.5 BTC in an address you directly control at the snapshot time, an equivalent 0.5 ECX will be created at the corresponding address on the forked chain. Your original BTC remains unchanged on the Bitcoin network. The situation differs if your assets are held on an exchange. Since exchanges control the private keys of their wallets and manage the forked coins, whether or not they distribute ECX to actual users depends on each exchange’s support policy. The eCash team also advises users to independently verify each exchange’s ECX support status. [What You Can Check Starting August 23] This schedule features three distinct dates, each serving a unique role: - August 23: Alpha Initial pECX allocation and network usage commencement - September 20: Beta Integration of wallets, exchanges, and developers; expanded real-world usage - October 31: Full Release Permanent ECX launch and final network transition During this period, nodes and mining environments prepared on drynet, along with https://t.co/5MV6EfQoyu Wallet, BitWindow, and Drivechain L2s, will be migrated into the live production environment. If you continue following eCash, there will be much to observe beyond just the ECX price. How extensively pECX is used during Alpha, which wallets and services integrate during Beta, and how the seven planned Drivechain L2s will be delivered after Full Release—all of these will be revealed progressively over the coming months. Personally, I am curious to see which services will establish themselves first when Drivechain—long developed as a BIP within Bitcoin—is applied to a separate live network. #BTC #eCash #ECX