Bitcoin Cash (BCH) is a cryptocurrency designed to function as fast, low-cost digital cash for everyday transactions. It was created in August 2017 as a "hard fork" (split) from the original Bitcoin blockchain, born out of one of crypto's most famous debates: the "Scaling Wars."
The Origin Story: Why BCH Exists
Between 2015-2017, the Bitcoin community was locked in a heated debate about how to scale the network as it became congested with high fees and slow transactions. Two camps emerged:
- Small Blockers (Bitcoin/BTC): Wanted to keep block sizes small (1MB) to maintain decentralization, favoring "off-chain" solutions like the Lightning Network
- Big Blockers (Bitcoin Cash/BCH): Argued for increasing block size directly on the main chain to keep fees low and transactions fast
When the Bitcoin community chose SegWit and small blocks, the "Big Blocker" faction split off on August 1, 2017, creating Bitcoin Cash. Everyone who held Bitcoin at that moment received an equal amount of BCH.
Current Market Position (January 30, 2026)
- Price: $508.25
- Market Cap: $10.16 Billion
- Rank: #13 globally
- 24h Volume: $629.4 Million
- Circulating Supply: 19.99M BCH (out of 21M max)
Recent Performance:
- 1 Hour: +2.91%
- 24 Hours: -8.10%
- 7 Days: -14.36%
Key Differences: BCH vs BTC
| Feature | Bitcoin (BTC) | Bitcoin Cash (BCH) |
|---|---|---|
| Block Size | ~1-4 MB | 32 MB |
| Transactions/Second | ~7 TPS | 100-200+ TPS |
| Transaction Fees | $1-$50+ (during peaks) | Under $0.01 |
| Philosophy | "Digital Gold" (store of value) | "Digital Cash" (medium of exchange) |
| Smart Contracts | Limited | Native (via CashTokens) |
What Makes BCH Different?
-
Massive Block Size (32MB): Can process hundreds of transactions per second, keeping the network fast even during high usage
-
Ultra-Low Fees: Transactions typically cost less than a penny, making it viable for buying coffee, remittances, or micro-transactions
-
CashTokens (2023 Upgrade): Added native smart contract and token capabilities, enabling DeFi and NFTs directly on BCH without high gas fees
-
Same DNA as Bitcoin: Uses the same SHA-256 mining algorithm, has the same 21 million coin cap, and shares Bitcoin's transaction history up to August 2017
Real-World Use Cases
- Merchant Payments: Widely accepted in crypto-friendly regions like Antigua and Barbuda, integrated with payment processors like BitPay
- Cross-Border Remittances: Popular for international transfers due to near-zero fees
- Daily Transactions: Positioned as actual "spendable" money rather than just an investment asset
The Bottom Line
Bitcoin Cash represents a different vision for cryptocurrency: while Bitcoin (BTC) has evolved into "digital gold" focused on being a store of value, BCH remains committed to being practical, everyday money. It's faster, cheaper, and more scalable for transactions, but has a smaller market cap and less mainstream adoption than its parent blockchain.
Whether BCH's "cash" approach or BTC's "gold" approach proves more valuable long-term remains one of crypto's most interesting ongoing experiments.