What is Bitcoin Cash?
Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is a cryptocurrency that forked from Bitcoin in August 2017 over disagreements about how to scale the network. BCH increased the block size from 1 MB to 32 MB to support more transactions per block.
The fork was driven by the belief that Bitcoin should function primarily as a peer-to-peer electronic cash system (as described in Satoshi's whitepaper) rather than a store of value. BCH prioritizes low fees and fast transactions for everyday payments.
BCH maintains many of Bitcoin's core features including Proof of Work mining, a 21 million coin supply cap, and halving cycles, but with significantly larger block sizes and lower transaction fees.
BCH Tokenomics
Bitcoin Cash has the same tokenomics as Bitcoin: a maximum supply of 21 million coins with block reward halvings every 210,000 blocks. BCH's last halving occurred in April 2024, reducing the block reward to 3.125 BCH.
BCH Historical Price Performance
BCH launched at approximately $240 after the Bitcoin fork in August 2017, quickly surging to $4,355 in December 2017. After the 2018 crash and the BCH/BSV fork in November 2018, it traded as low as $77. BCH has maintained its position as a top cryptocurrency, with renewed interest driven by its use case for low-cost payments.
Frequently Asked Questions
The fork resulted from a disagreement within the Bitcoin community about scaling. One side favored larger blocks for more on-chain transactions (BCH), while the other preferred off-chain solutions like the Lightning Network (BTC).
BCH transaction fees are typically under $0.01, compared to Bitcoin's fees which can range from $1 to $50+ during congestion. This makes BCH more practical for small everyday transactions.
No. Bitcoin SV (BSV) forked from Bitcoin Cash in November 2018 in another disagreement about block size. BCH, BSV, and BTC are all separate cryptocurrencies with different development teams and visions.
Yes, BCH uses the same SHA-256 mining algorithm as Bitcoin. The same ASIC hardware can mine both chains. BCH uses a difficulty adjustment algorithm that adjusts every block for stable block times.
What caused the Bitcoin Cash fork?
The fork resulted from a disagreement within the Bitcoin community about scaling. One side favored larger blocks for more on-chain transactions (BCH), while the other preferred off-chain solutions like the Lightning Network (BTC).
How are BCH fees compared to Bitcoin?
BCH transaction fees are typically under $0.01, compared to Bitcoin's fees which can range from $1 to $50+ during congestion. This makes BCH more practical for small everyday transactions.
Is BCH the same as BSV?
No. Bitcoin SV (BSV) forked from Bitcoin Cash in November 2018 in another disagreement about block size. BCH, BSV, and BTC are all separate cryptocurrencies with different development teams and visions.
Can you mine Bitcoin Cash?
Yes, BCH uses the same SHA-256 mining algorithm as Bitcoin. The same ASIC hardware can mine both chains. BCH uses a difficulty adjustment algorithm that adjusts every block for stable block times.
Risk Warning
Cryptocurrency prices are highly volatile and can change rapidly. The information on this site is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or trading advice.