BCHBitcoin Cash

What a fork is

A fork happens when a cryptocurrency's rules are copied and then changed, so a new network starts from the same shared record. Bitcoin Cash is a fork of bitcoin, launched in 2017, and it has followed its own rules since that split. The original coin is covered on the Bitcoin price page.

Both chains keep the history recorded up to the point of the split. Every block mined before that point belongs to both stories; after it, each chain adds only its own blocks. This is why the two coins can look similar in their early records yet behave as separate assets afterwards.

Coin profiles often describe a fork like this as an altcoin or a spin-off of the coin it came from. The label is a plain description of origin, not a judgement about quality or prospects. What the new chain changes is set out in its own rules, and those rules are what you are reading about when you open its chart.

One practical point follows from the shared history: a fork is not a copy of your balance that appears in your mobile banking app. Coins on each chain are held and moved separately, through wallets that support that particular network.

What it shares with bitcoin

Bitcoin Cash runs on proof of work, the same mechanism bitcoin uses to agree on which blocks are valid. Miners spend computing power to solve a puzzle, and the chain that gathers the most work is the one the network follows. The guide to mining explains this process from the start, and it applies here without modification.

The supply cap is also the same: twenty-one million coins, written into the rules of both networks. New coins enter circulation as block rewards, and the reward is cut at set intervals until the cap is reached. A block is added about every ten minutes, which sets the pace for how quickly those rewards are issued.

Because the basics match, much of the general reading on this site carries over. Keys and addresses follow the same basic idea, and the explanation of wallets covers how keys and addresses fit together on a proof-of-work chain. Fees work in a similar fashion too: you pay to have a transaction included in a block, and the amount depends on how busy the network is at the time.

Details beyond these stable rows are not covered on this page. The site lists only what the coin profile confirms, so anything not stated here should be checked against the project's own documentation before you rely on it.

Same name part, different coin

The word "cash" in the name does not make Bitcoin Cash a payment app or a cash-out service. It is a separate cryptocurrency with its own price, its own market and its own rules. Treat it as a different asset from bitcoin, not as a variant of it.

Prices diverge because each coin trades on its own order book. A quote for bitcoin tells you nothing about the price of Bitcoin Cash, so check the chart for the coin you actually hold. The ticker is the quickest way to tell them apart: BTC is bitcoin, BCH is Bitcoin Cash.

Addresses are separate too. A wallet set up for bitcoin will not handle Bitcoin Cash unless it explicitly supports that network, and sending coins to an address on the wrong chain can lose the funds. Before you send, confirm the full name and the code, and check the bitcoin address guide for how addresses are structured.

A peer-to-peer trade carries the same risk. Confirm which coin the other person is sending, and match the name and code on both sides before you release anything.

Reading the BCH chart

The chart on this page is drawn by a TradingView widget, which pulls quotes from outside the site; the figures may reach you a little behind the live market. What you see is the price quoted in US dollars, so the dollar figure is the reference point for the coin itself.

Smaller markets are usually thinner, and thinner trading can bring sharper swings in both directions. A quiet afternoon can turn into a fast move on modest volume, so keep that in mind.

Look at more than one timeframe before you draw any conclusion. The daily view shows the broader trend while the shorter intervals show the noise within it, and reading both together keeps a single red or green candle in proportion. The dollar price page shows how the same widget presents bitcoin for comparison.

Do not judge the two coins by the shape of their lines. Each chart sets its own vertical scale, so an identical-looking climb can represent very different dollar moves.

This page prints no number of its own; every figure comes from the widget, and it can lag the exchange.

Before you buy, hold or trade it

Check that the platform lists Bitcoin Cash under the BCH code and on its own network before you send any money. A page that shows only a name, without the code or the network, is not enough to go on. Ask which network the deposit address belongs to and confirm it matches the coin you hold.

Address formats differ between chains, so copy the address from the platform and compare it with what your wallet shows. A test with a small amount first is the plainest way to confirm the route works before you move more. Wallets must support Bitcoin Cash specifically; one built for bitcoin alone will not do.

Contracts for difference follow the price without owning the coin, so no wallet is involved and the position sits with the broker. Leverage cuts both ways and losses can build quickly, which is why these products are not suitable for everyone; the explainer on crypto CFDs sets out how they work. If you would rather hold the coin itself, the guide to buying in Nigeria covers the steps and the checks that come with them.