Paul Sztorc's proposed eCash fork is being reframed by Bitcoin developers not as a hostile split, but as a potentially hazardous airdrop.
Sergio Lerner of Rootstock Labs argues eCash is a new blockchain, not a direct threat to Bitcoin. However, the method of distribution-airdropping based on Bitcoin's UTXO set-introduces significant operational risks.
Users must move funds from cold storage and interact with unfamiliar software to claim tokens. The lack of full replay protection between the chains creates a risk of accidental loss of funds.
Bitcoin entrepreneur Dan Held called the plan 'shock value marketing' and warned the no-replay protection makes it 'quite hazardous to redeem.'
Distribution is also questioned: custodians controlling private keys may not be the rightful owners, leaving some users at a disadvantage. Lerner criticized the funding model as 'morally objectionable.'
Jay Polack of VerifiedX argues the fork undermines Bitcoin's core guarantee of native ownership, calling it 'mind boggling.'
The reaction highlights Bitcoin's social resistance to experiments that reinterpret its ledger or introduce risk to users.