The emergence of Bitcoin Cash (BCH) on August 1, 2017, marked a pivotal moment in the evolution of the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Born from a contentious hard fork of the original Bitcoin blockchain, Bitcoin Cash was designed to address scalability issues by increasing the block size limit from 1 MB to 8 MB. The initiative, initially championed by Bitmain—a leading Bitcoin mining hardware manufacturer—quickly gained traction among miners and developers advocating for larger blocks.
Within hours of its activation, ViaBTC successfully mined the first Bitcoin Cash block, signaling strong early support from key players in the mining community. As the network stabilized, attention turned to users: how could Bitcoin holders claim their share of the newly created BCH?
👉 Discover how top platforms enabled seamless access to Bitcoin Cash after the fork.
Claiming Bitcoin Cash: Self-Custody vs. Exchange Users
For users who maintain full control over their private keys—typically those using non-custodial wallets—the process of claiming Bitcoin Cash involves technical steps such as replay protection and splitting funds between the two chains. This requires a solid understanding of blockchain mechanics and wallet management.
However, for the majority of users who store their Bitcoin on centralized exchanges, the experience is significantly simpler. These platforms hold users’ private keys and can automate the distribution of forked coins. As a result, exchanges play a crucial role in determining whether users gain access to new assets like BCH.
Aaron Van Wirdum of Bitcoin Magazine published a comprehensive guide shortly after the fork, outlining best practices for safely claiming and selling Bitcoin Cash. His advice emphasized caution, particularly around replay attacks and wallet compatibility.
U.S. Exchanges: Limited Support for Bitcoin Cash
Despite the United States being the second-largest Bitcoin trading market globally—with daily volumes exceeding $97 million at the time—only two of the top five U.S.-based exchanges chose to support Bitcoin Cash immediately after the fork: Bitfinex and Kraken.
Both platforms announced their support on July 27, 2017, confirming that all user accounts would be credited with BCH based on their Bitcoin balances at the time of the fork. By 6:35 PM GMT on August 1, Kraken confirmed successful crediting across all accounts. Bitfinex followed closely behind, with its development team actively processing distributions.
In contrast, Bitstamp, Gemini, and GDAX (now part of Coinbase) declined to support BCH in the short term. These exchanges classified Bitcoin Cash as an alternative cryptocurrency (altcoin), asserting that listing decisions remained at their discretion.
“Bitstamp would not be in a position to support Bitcoin Cash... [BCH] is an alt-coin,” stated the Bitstamp team, reflecting a cautious regulatory and operational stance.
Jimmy Song, principal architect at Paxos and respected Bitcoin analyst, echoed this prudence in an interview with Tone Vays. He warned against rushing to withdraw BCH immediately post-fork due to potential security risks, including replay attacks and chain instability.
This conservative approach left room for future reconsideration. While these platforms did not support BCH initially, they left open the possibility of enabling withdrawals or trading if market demand and network stability improved.
Chinese Exchanges Embrace Bitcoin Cash
China’s cryptocurrency market responded far more aggressively. All major Chinese Bitcoin exchanges—including OKCoin, Huobi, and BTCChina—announced support for Bitcoin Cash, with plans to credit users and list BCH/BTC trading pairs.
This unified stance reflected broader industry alignment in China around on-chain scaling solutions at the time. By enabling immediate trading, these platforms helped establish early liquidity for BCH, driving price discovery and speculative interest.
The coordinated support across Asia signaled a regional divergence in philosophy compared to many Western exchanges, where regulatory caution often slowed adoption of new crypto assets.
South Korean Exchanges: Selective but Strategic Support
South Korea’s digital asset market also showed strong interest in Bitcoin Cash. Two of the country’s three largest exchanges—Bithumb and Korbit—announced plans to support BCH if it demonstrated sustained market traction.
Crucially, both exchanges committed to a 1:1 distribution model, crediting users with BCH based on their Bitcoin holdings at the time of the fork (~August 1, 9:20 PM KST). This mirrored practices seen in China and reinforced user confidence in fair asset allocation.
While not immediate, this conditional support highlighted a balanced approach: prioritizing security while remaining responsive to market dynamics.
👉 See how global exchanges shaped early Bitcoin Cash adoption trends.
Complete List of Supported Exchanges and Wallets
Below is a curated list of platforms that committed to supporting Bitcoin Cash post-fork:
Wallets Supporting Bitcoin Cash
- Ledger Nano S
- Trezor
- Jaxx
- Coinomi
- Bitcoin Unlimited
- Bitcoin Classic
- BitcoinABC
- Freewallet
Exchanges Supporting Bitcoin Cash
- Bittrex
- Kraken
- Bitfinex
- Bitcoins Norway
- Mercury Cash
- QuadrigaCX
- BTCBox
- Bithumb
- Korbit
- QuoineEX
- Walltime
- Lykke
- Coinspot
Other Services
- Changelly
- Shapeshift
These platforms played a vital role in onboarding users to the new network, offering tools for storage, exchange, and conversion.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is Bitcoin Cash (BCH)?
A: Bitcoin Cash is a cryptocurrency that resulted from a hard fork of the Bitcoin blockchain on August 1, 2017. It was created to increase block size and improve transaction speed and scalability.
Q: How do I claim Bitcoin Cash if I held Bitcoin during the fork?
A: If you used a supported exchange, BCH was automatically credited to your account. For self-custody wallets, you needed to import your private keys into a BCH-compatible wallet and ensure replay protection.
Q: Why didn’t some exchanges support Bitcoin Cash?
A: Some platforms viewed BCH as an altcoin rather than a legitimate continuation of Bitcoin. Others cited security concerns, regulatory uncertainty, or technical readiness as reasons for delaying or denying support.
Q: Can I still claim Bitcoin Cash today?
A: If you held Bitcoin on a non-custodial wallet during the fork and never split your funds, it may still be possible—but only if you retain access to your original private keys.
Q: Was the Bitcoin Cash fork controversial?
A: Yes. The split sparked intense debate within the crypto community over decentralization, governance, and scalability—issues that continue to influence blockchain development today.
Q: Which regions showed the strongest support for BCH?
A: Asian markets—particularly China and South Korea—demonstrated the most immediate and widespread support, both in terms of exchange listings and user adoption.
As major exchanges in Asia moved swiftly to integrate Bitcoin Cash, momentum built rapidly in those regions. This geographic disparity in support underscored differing philosophies in crypto innovation and risk tolerance.
Today, Bitcoin Cash remains one of the most notable examples of how community-driven forks can reshape digital currency landscapes. Whether viewed as a necessary evolution or a contentious split, its impact on wallet development, exchange policies, and user education continues to resonate.
👉 Learn how modern platforms handle blockchain forks and user asset protection.