Not a theft, but a statement: Inside the Bitcoin proposal to reassign Satoshi-linked coins

A proposed Bitcoin fork called eCash, led by Paul Sztorc of LayerTwo Labs, aims to copy Bitcoin's history and redistribute balances. While standard forks give holders equivalent amounts on the new chain, eCash plans to allocate 600,000 eCash to Satoshi Nakamoto's dormant addresses and redirect the remaining 500,000 eCash to project investors. Sztorc clarifies this is not a theft of Bitcoin itself, as private keys and BTC software are not involved. However, critics argue that reassigning balances on a forked chain, even if technically not theft, sets a dangerous precedent for property rights and immutability, potentially undermining confidence in Bitcoin's long-term integrity. The debate is amplified by recent discussions on freezing quantum-vulnerable coins, including those linked to Satoshi, making any intervention with these addresses highly contentious.

(Source：CoinDesk)