Bitcoin holders who controlled their private keys during a specific snapshot have received equivalent balances of eCash (ECX), a new cryptocurrency launched as a hard fork of the Bitcoin network. The fork occurred on Oct. 29 at Bitcoin block 973,728, creating a separate chain designed to support payments and privacy applications using Bitcoin’s underlying code.
LayerTwo Labs, founded by Paul Sztorc, led the launch. Sztorc is also known for proposing Bitcoin Drivechain improvements through BIP300 and BIP301. According to LayerTwo Labs, any user holding self-custodied Bitcoin at the time of the snapshot now owns an identical amount of ECX tokens.
Exchange listings and market data
NeoxEX announced on Oct. 29 that it opened native deposits, withdrawals, and trading for ECX. The exchange supports trading pairs including ECX/USDT, ECX/USDC, and ECX/BTC. CoinW has also stated it plans to distribute ECX to eligible Bitcoin holders, though it has not yet announced dates for deposits, withdrawals, or trading services.
Decentralized finance platforms have begun integrating the asset as well. Orca, a decentralized exchange on the Solana blockchain, allows users to swap USDC for wrapped ECX (wECX) via a liquidity pool.
Market data remains limited. As of Nov. 5, CoinMarketCap listed ECX at $32.63 with approximately $355,000 in 24-hour trading volume. In contrast, CoinGecko displays the token as a preview listing without a price or tracked exchange markets. Kaiko, a crypto market data provider, confirmed it does not currently track ECX, restricting the availability of independent institutional-grade data.
LayerTwo Labs stated that early trading saw ECX prices fluctuate between $40 and $50, but the organization did not provide order book depth or verified volume figures to support this range.
Security warnings for holders
LayerTwo Labs issued specific security guidance to Bitcoin holders who now possess both BTC and ECX assets. The team warned users against moving their original Bitcoin holdings before securing their new eCash tokens.
“Never move your BTC first, as an ordinary, unprotected BTC spend can easily be replayed on the ECX network,” LayerTwo Labs said. This replay attack risk exists because the two chains share identical transaction history up to the fork point. Users are advised to manage their ECX balances separately to prevent unintended loss of Bitcoin funds.
