[Crypto projects](https://revain.org/projects/) › Bitcoin Cash

# Bitcoin Cash (BCH): how it works, supply and reviews

Layer 1 blockchain

## In short

- **Type**: Layer-1 blockchain; a hard fork of Bitcoin at block 478,558
- **Maximum supply**: 21,000,000 BCH
- **Risks and caveats**: There is no foundation or company behind BCH; upgrades depend on coordination between independent node teams, and specifications are maintained per project.
- **Checked**: 28 October 2026

## Key facts

- **Ticker**: BCH
- **Category**: Layer 1 blockchain
- **Network**: own blockchain
- **Mining algorithm**: SHA-256
- **Official site**: [bch.info](https://bch.info/)
- **Whitepaper**: [bch.info/bitcoin.pdf](https://bch.info/bitcoin.pdf)
- **Source code**: [github.com/bitcoincashorg/bitcoincash.org](https://github.com/bitcoincashorg/bitcoincash.org)

Data: CoinGecko, 2026-10-27. Only projects that still trade with meaningful volume are listed.

## What is Bitcoin Cash

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is a proof-of-work cryptocurrency that split from Bitcoin on 1 August 2017 to scale on-chain as low-fee electronic cash. It keeps Bitcoin's 21 million coin limit and has since added native tokens (CashTokens) and an adaptive block size limit.

## Network and consensus

| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | Layer-1 blockchain; a hard fork of Bitcoin at block 478,558 |
| Consensus | SHA-256 proof of work (mining) |
| Launched | 1 August 2017 (fork activation time 12:20 UTC) |
| Block time | 10-minute target, kept by the ASERT difficulty adjustment algorithm (since November 2020) |
| Smart contracts | Bitcoin-style Script; native fungible and non-fungible tokens (CashTokens) since 15 May 2023 |

## Supply and issuance

| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Maximum supply | 21,000,000 BCH |
| Issuance | New coins are paid to miners as a block reward; the reward started at 50 coins per block |
| Halving | The block reward halves every 210,000 blocks, roughly every four years |

## What BCH is used for

- Peer-to-peer payments and merchant payments
- Paying network transaction fees
- Mining reward for securing the network with proof of work

## Who develops and governs Bitcoin Cash

- **Developer**: Several independent node teams; Bitcoin Cash Node (BCHN) is one of them
- **Governance**: No company or foundation; protocol changes are proposed and coordinated across development teams (e.g. on bitcoincashresearch.org)
- **Founders**: No single founder; Bitcoin Cash continues Bitcoin's chain, created by Satoshi Nakamoto, up to the 2017 split
- **Open source**: Yes; node software such as Bitcoin Cash Node (BCHN) is released under the MIT licence

## History

| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| October 2008 | Satoshi Nakamoto publishes the Bitcoin whitepaper, the shared origin of Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash. |
| 1 August 2017 | Bitcoin Cash splits from Bitcoin at block 478,558 to allow larger blocks. |
| 15 November 2020 | The ASERT difficulty adjustment algorithm is adopted to keep blocks close to 10 minutes apart. |
| 15 May 2023 | CashTokens upgrade activates, adding native fungible and non-fungible tokens. |
| 2024 | The Adaptive Block Limit Algorithm (ABLA) activates, letting the block size limit adjust to demand. |

## Security and audits

- Blocks are secured by SHA-256 proof of work: rewriting a block requires redoing the work for it and every later block.

## Risks and caveats

- There is no foundation or company behind BCH; upgrades depend on coordination between independent node teams, and specifications are maintained per project.
- Bitcoin Cash shares Bitcoin's SHA-256 mining algorithm, so the same mining hardware can secure either chain.

## Official links

- Website: [bitcoincash.org](https://bitcoincash.org/)
- Docs: [reference.cash](https://reference.cash/)
- Upgrade specifications: [upgradespecs.bitcoincashnode.org](https://upgradespecs.bitcoincashnode.org/)
- Source code: [gitlab.com/bitcoin-cash-node/bitcoin-cash-node](https://gitlab.com/bitcoin-cash-node/bitcoin-cash-node)
- Node software: [bitcoincashnode.org/en](https://bitcoincashnode.org/en/)
- Governance forum: [bitcoincashresearch.org](https://bitcoincashresearch.org/)

## Questions and answers

**What is Bitcoin Cash?**

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is a proof-of-work cryptocurrency that split from Bitcoin on 1 August 2017 to serve as low-fee electronic cash.

**Who created Bitcoin Cash?**

Bitcoin Cash has no single creator; it continues Bitcoin's history up to block 478,558 and is developed by several independent node teams.

**What is the maximum supply of Bitcoin Cash?**

The protocol caps supply at 21 million BCH. The mining reward halves every 210,000 blocks, about every four years.

**How does Bitcoin Cash work?**

Miners secure the chain with SHA-256 proof of work, targeting one block every 10 minutes, and receive newly issued BCH plus fees.

## Sources

- [CoinGecko — Bitcoin Cash](https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/bitcoin-cash)
- [Bitcoin Cash — bitcoincash.org](https://bitcoincash.org/)
- [Bitcoin Cash Protocol Documentation — Blockchain](https://reference.cash/protocol/blockchain/)
- [Bitcoin Cash Protocol Documentation — Proof of Work](https://reference.cash/protocol/blockchain/proof-of-work)
- [BCH upgrade specifications — UAHF technical spec](https://upgradespecs.bitcoincashnode.org/uahf-technical-spec/)
- [BCH upgrade specifications — ASERT (November 2020)](https://upgradespecs.bitcoincashnode.org/2020-11-15-asert/)
- [BCH upgrade specifications — May 2023 upgrade](https://upgradespecs.bitcoincashnode.org/2023-05-15-upgrade/)
- [BCH upgrade specifications — Home](https://upgradespecs.bitcoincashnode.org/)
- [Bitcoin Cash Node — chainparams.cpp](https://gitlab.com/bitcoin-cash-node/bitcoin-cash-node/-/raw/master/src/chainparams.cpp)
- [Bitcoin Cash Node — validation.cpp](https://gitlab.com/bitcoin-cash-node/bitcoin-cash-node/-/raw/master/src/validation.cpp)

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Page updated: 2026-10-31

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Source: https://revain.org/projects/bitcoin-cash/