Bitcoin Cash Coming after our contract and holder checks finish for this coin. See the Scorecard for every call so far.
What it is
Bitcoin Cash split off from Bitcoin on August 1, 2017, after a long fight over how Bitcoin should handle more transactions. Its supporters wanted much bigger blocks so everyday payments could stay cheap on the main chain. Anyone holding bitcoin at the moment of the split received the same amount of BCH.
It works much like Bitcoin. Miners use the same type of hardware to produce a block about every ten minutes, supply is capped at 21 million coins, and the block reward halves about every four years; the most recent halving, in April 2024, cut it to 3.125 BCH. The main difference is a far larger block size limit, which keeps fees well under a cent. No company runs Bitcoin Cash. Several independent teams maintain the software, though far fewer developers work on it than on Bitcoin.
Bitcoin Cash has split again since its creation. In 2018 a faction broke away to form Bitcoin SV, and in 2020 another group left to create what is now eCash. BCH is the version that most exchanges and data sites track today.
What can go wrong
- BCH miners use the same machines as Bitcoin's, but BCH attracts only a tiny fraction of that computing power. In principle, a large miner could temporarily overpower the chain, which is why exchanges wait for extra confirmations on deposits.
- Its history of repeated splits shows the community can divide sharply, creating rival coins and confusion over which chain is the real one.
- Use for everyday payments remains modest compared with the original goal, so the price depends mainly on trading demand.
BCH and BTC are different coins on different networks. Sending one to an address meant for the other can lose the funds, so check the network and the address format (BCH addresses often begin with 'bitcoincash:' or the letter 'q').
Safety checks
- Track recordGoodTrading since 2017, about 9 years. It has been through at least one full market cycle.
- Trading activityGood$133.9 million traded in the last 24 hours, 2.4% of its market value. That's enough activity that a normal-size order shouldn't move the price.
- Coins still to comeGood20.1 million of 21.0 million maximum coins are in circulation, so about 4% are still to be released. Little new supply is left to hit the market.
- Distance from its peakRed flagDown 93% from its all-time high of $3,786 in December 2017. Most people who bought near the top have lost most of their money. A big drop doesn't make a coin cheap.
- Past yearFor context−42.3% over the past year, against −25.3% for bitcoin. It has done worse than simply holding bitcoin.
History of trouble and big events
- 2017: Split from Bitcoin on August 1.
- 2018: A dispute over the rules produced another split, creating Bitcoin SV.
- 2020: A further split created what is now eCash.
- 2024: The block reward halved to 3.125 BCH in April.
Holding a token on a smaller network, or got sent one you don't recognize? Run its address through the free checker. Copycat tokens often borrow big names.