What followed was more than a quiet technical test: miners joined the network, the first coin splits were completed, wallets and infrastructure were tested under real conditions, and an early ECX ecosystem began to take shape.
For Bitcoin holders preparing for ECX, the Alpha launch provides the first practical look at how the ecosystem works ahead of Beta and the permanent Mainnet launch.
Here is what happened during the first days of ECX Alpha - and what it means for the upcoming ECX claim.
ECX Alpha Launched at Block 963,648
The Alpha network launched at block 963,648 with an initial mining difficulty of 1.
Activity began almost immediately.
Thousands of blocks were produced during the first 30 minutes. Roughly 15 hours after launch, the Alpha chain had moved approximately 26,000 blocks ahead of Bitcoin, with around 80,000 pECX mined.
By the end of the first day, mining difficulty had already increased from 1 to approximately 16.7 million.
The rapid start provided exactly the type of network conditions Alpha was designed to test: changing hashrate, difficulty adjustments, reorganizations, wallet synchronization and mining infrastructure under real usage.
Network activity can now be followed through the ECX Alpha Block Explorer, where blocks, transactions and other Alpha network data are publicly available.
The First ECX Coin Splits Were Completed
One of the most important milestones happened almost immediately after launch: the first documented ECX coin splits were successfully performed.
The Alpha demonstrated the coin-splitting process using the network's nLockTime mechanism, providing an early real-world test of separating assets following the fork.
This is particularly important for Bitcoin holders.
A Bitcoin fork does not mean that BTC is converted into ECX. Bitcoin remains on the Bitcoin network, while the corresponding ECX allocation exists separately on the ECX network.
The Alpha environment gives developers and users an opportunity to test this process before permanent ECX becomes available on Mainnet.
Mining Activity Became a Real Stress Test
By the second day, ECX Alpha was already attracting significant mining activity.
At one point, network hashrate reportedly reached approximately 1 EH/s, with part of that capacity coming from rented mining power.
This created an important real-world stress test.
Large amounts of hashrate could enter the network, rapidly push the chain through difficulty periods, and then disappear. When that happened, the higher difficulty remained while considerably less mining power was available.
The result was dramatically slower block production.
This behavior exposed one of the issues that can now be studied and improved before the permanent network launches.
That is exactly what an Alpha network is supposed to do: reveal problems while the coins involved are still experimental.
An ECX Ecosystem Appeared Within Days
Perhaps the most notable development was not simply that the blockchain continued producing blocks.
It was how quickly infrastructure appeared around it.
Within only a few days, the ECX ecosystem included:
- pECX/BTC swap infrastructure;
- an Alpha ECX faucet;
- a public block explorer;
- multiple mining pools;
- a Drivechain fee tracker;
- hardware-wallet coin-splitting tools;
- live network monitoring dashboards;
- third-party wallets supporting the ECX ecosystem;
- public tools for checking ECX eligibility and receiving coins.
Developers were also testing Drivechain functionality, blind merge mining and potential new sidechains.
In other words, ECX Alpha quickly moved beyond being an isolated blockchain test.
A small but functioning ecosystem began forming around it.
Third-Party ECX Wallets Are Already Operating
Another important sign of ecosystem development is the appearance of independent wallets capable of working with ECX.
The Alpha stage gives wallet developers something that test simulations cannot fully reproduce: an active network with real blocks, transactions, reorganizations and changing mining conditions.
Two independent wallet projects have already become part of the developing ECX infrastructure.
Qorpex - Multi-Currency eCash Wallet
Qorpex eCash Wallet provides a multi-currency, non-custodial wallet environment with support for eCash alongside Bitcoin and other crypto assets.
For users who prefer to manage multiple cryptocurrencies from a single wallet, Qorpex provides an alternative to ECX-only software while maintaining a self-custody model.
Its eCash and Bitcoin-fork infrastructure has also been designed around asset detection, wallet import and separation of forked balances.
ECXIUM - Dedicated Wallet for eCash ECX
ECXIUM eCash ECX Wallet takes a different approach.
Rather than being a multi-currency wallet, ECXIUM is focused specifically on ECX. This makes it a specialized option for users who want a dedicated interface for sending, receiving and managing ECX without the additional complexity of unrelated blockchain assets.
The availability of both multi-currency and ECX-focused wallets is an encouraging development for the network.
More importantly, the Alpha provides an opportunity for these independent wallets to demonstrate their operation against the live ECX network before permanent Mainnet ECX is introduced.
ClaimECX Tools Were Tested on the Live Alpha Network
The Alpha launch has also provided an important real-world test for the infrastructure available through ClaimECX.
Two components are particularly important for Bitcoin holders.
ECX Claim Checker
The ECX Claim Checker allows users to enter a public Bitcoin address and verify the corresponding ECX eligibility and allocation information.
No private key or recovery phrase is required to perform an eligibility check.
During the Alpha stage, the checker has demonstrated its usefulness as a simple way to identify eligible addresses and verify ECX allocation information before proceeding further.
ECX Receiving and Claim Infrastructure
The claim workflow has also been tested alongside the live ECX environment, including the process of specifying an ECX receiving address for distributed coins.
This provides an important bridge between Bitcoin snapshot data and the ECX network: users can identify an eligible BTC address, verify its allocation, and prepare a valid ECX destination for the resulting coins.
The first Alpha period therefore tested more than the blockchain itself. It also tested parts of the user-facing infrastructure required to make ECX accessible to ordinary Bitcoin holders.
pECX Started Trading
Another unexpected development was the appearance of an early market for Alpha ECX.
A community-built pECX/BTC swap allowed users to trade experimental Alpha coins using a small automated market maker.
Liquidity was extremely limited, so prices fluctuated dramatically and should not be interpreted as a reliable market valuation of permanent ECX.
Nevertheless, the experiment demonstrated something important: users were willing to mine, acquire, exchange and test pECX even during the Alpha phase.
It also provided an early environment for price discovery before permanent ECX exists.
Alpha Found Real Problems - Which Is Good
The first days of Alpha were not problem-free.
And they were not supposed to be.
Testing uncovered issues involving:
- consensus interruptions;
- orphaned blocks;
- mining pool templates;
- enforcer synchronization;
- wallet rescans;
- mobile wallet synchronization;
- difficulty adjustments following sudden changes in hashrate.
Finding these issues during Alpha is significantly better than discovering them after permanent ECX has economic value.
This is one of the strongest arguments for launching ECX in multiple stages.
Why ECX Has Alpha, Beta and Mainnet
The ECX rollout is divided into three stages rather than launching permanent coins immediately.
Alpha - August 23, 2026
The first live testing environment.
Alpha allows miners, developers and users to test the network, coin splitting, wallets, mining infrastructure, claim infrastructure and Drivechain behavior using experimental pECX.
Beta - September 20, 2026
The next testing stage is planned for September 20, 2026.
Lessons from Alpha can be incorporated into the network and supporting infrastructure before another round of live testing begins.
Mainnet - October 31, 2026
The permanent ECX network is planned to launch on October 31, 2026, the 18th anniversary of the publication of the Bitcoin whitepaper.
Mainnet is the stage that matters for permanent ECX ownership.
Alpha and Beta are testing environments. Mainnet is the permanent network.
What Does This Mean for Bitcoin Holders?
For most Bitcoin holders, there is no need to participate directly in Alpha mining or experimental pECX trading.
The important point is much simpler: the ECX network and its surrounding infrastructure are now being tested under real-world conditions before Mainnet.
Bitcoin holders should understand the distinction between test-stage pECX and permanent Mainnet ECX.
Your BTC remains Bitcoin. The fork does not require converting or sending BTC in order to create ECX.
Eligibility depends on the applicable Bitcoin snapshot and the BTC balance associated with an eligible address at that snapshot.
Check Your ECX Eligibility
Bitcoin holders can use the ECX Claim Checker to check a public BTC address and review its ECX allocation information.
Only a public Bitcoin address is required for the eligibility check.
There is no need to provide a recovery phrase or private key simply to determine whether an address is eligible.
For security, never provide your Bitcoin private key or recovery phrase to anyone claiming they need it merely to check your ECX eligibility.
What Happens Next?
The first days of Alpha have already produced something that could not be obtained from simulations alone: real network data.
Mining infrastructure has been tested.
Coin splits have been performed.
Independent wallets are operating with the emerging ECX ecosystem.
Explorers and monitoring tools are online.
Claim and eligibility infrastructure has been exercised.
Wallet and synchronization issues have appeared.
Mining pools have competed.
Experimental markets have formed.
Developers have built tools around a network that did not exist only days earlier.
The next major milestone is ECX Beta on September 20, 2026, followed by the planned Mainnet launch on October 31, 2026.
For Bitcoin holders, the most important step now is not to rush.
Understand which stage of the ECX launch is currently active, verify your information using a public Bitcoin address, protect your private keys, and wait for the appropriate network stage before working with permanent ECX.
The first week of ECX Alpha has demonstrated something important: the project is no longer only a specification or a planned Bitcoin fork.
The network is running, infrastructure is being built around it, and the ECX ecosystem is beginning to take shape.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the claim still open?
Yes. Eligible users can continue using the official Claim eCash portal.
Has the claim process changed?
No major changes have been introduced during the first week. Any future updates will be announced in the Updates section.
Can I still check my allocation?
Yes. The ECX Claim Checker remains available and only requires your public Bitcoin address.
Should I wait before claiming?
That's entirely up to you. Many users prefer to review the wallet guides first, while others complete the process immediately. Both approaches are perfectly reasonable.
Haven't Claimed Yet?
The official ECX claim remains available. Start by checking your Bitcoin address, review the instructions for your wallet, and complete your claim when you're ready.