Paul Sztorc, a developer who has long focused on Bitcoin scaling solutions, has proposed a Bitcoin hard fork called eCash at block height 964,000 in August 2026. This fork would distribute eCash to BTC holders at a 1:1 ratio and introduce a Drivechains sidechain architecture into the new chain. The controversy centers on his plan to pre-allocate a portion of the eCash corresponding to the Satoshi Nakamoto address on the new chain to early investors, a move criticized by the community, with some accusing it of "stealing" tokens. Paul Sztorc stated that this move aims to incentivize development and collaboration before the project launches.