Bitcoin Cash (BCH) has undergone one of the most anticipated hard forks in cryptocurrency history, splitting into two distinct chains: Bitcoin Cash ABC (BCHABC) and Bitcoin Cash SV (BCHSV). This pivotal event marked a major moment for the digital asset community, reshaping trading, investment strategies, and exchange protocols.
ZB.com, a leading cryptocurrency exchange, successfully managed the transition by conducting a snapshot of BCH holdings and facilitating the fair distribution of both forked assets. This article explains how the split was handled, how users received their new tokens, and how trading resumed — all while maintaining transparency and user protection.
Understanding the Bitcoin Cash Fork
The Bitcoin Cash network split due to fundamental disagreements within the developer and mining communities over protocol upgrades. One faction supported further scalability improvements through smart contract functionality and moderate block size increases (leading to BCHABC), while another advocated for massive block sizes to return to what they viewed as Satoshi Nakamoto’s original vision (resulting in BCHSV).
👉 Discover how blockchain forks create new investment opportunities and shape market dynamics.
This divergence led to a hard fork on November 15, 2018, resulting in two separate blockchains with equal transaction histories up to the point of the split. As a result, exchanges like ZB.com had to take precise technical actions to ensure users retained fair access to both resulting assets.
Snapshot and Token Distribution Process
To determine eligibility for the newly created tokens, ZB.com conducted a full snapshot of all BCH balances at 00:40 AM Beijing Time on November 16, 2018. This means that any user holding BCH in their ZB.com account at that exact moment was entitled to receive both BCHABC and BCHSV on a 1:1 basis — that is:
- 1 BCH → 1 BCHABC + 1 BCHSV
The distribution was completed before November 19, 2018, at 7:00 PM (Beijing Time). This ensured that users could access their newly acquired assets promptly and participate in early market movements.
It's important to note that the original BCH trading pairs were permanently retired, replaced by new markets for the individual forked coins.
Trading Resumes: New Market Pairs Go Live
Following the successful distribution, ZB.com officially opened spot trading for both new cryptocurrencies:
- BCHABC/QC
- BCHABC/USDT
- BCHSV/QC
- BCHSV/USDT
These markets went live at 8:00 PM Beijing Time on November 19, 2018, providing immediate liquidity and price discovery for both assets. The introduction of USDT and QC (ZB’s proprietary stablecoin) pairs allowed traders to hedge volatility or speculate using familiar fiat-pegged instruments.
Market volatility was expected during the initial hours, as sentiment diverged between supporters of each chain. However, ZB.com maintained system stability to support high-volume trading amid strong user demand.
Handling Leveraged and Collateralized Loans
One of the most complex aspects of any fork involves users who have borrowed assets or used them as collateral. To address this fairly, ZB.com implemented a structured clearing process for all outstanding BCH leveraged trades and collateralized loans, beginning on November 20, 2018 (UTC+8).
Key Rules for Loan Settlement:
- Repayment Requirements: Users who had borrowed BCH were required to repay both BCHABC and BCHSV in a 1:1 ratio relative to the amount borrowed. For example, if a user borrowed 10 BCH, they must return 10 BCHABC and 10 BCHSV.
Priority Repayment Methods:
- First, available funds in the user’s leveraged account could be converted into BCHABC or BCHSV at current market rates to fulfill repayment obligations.
- If insufficient, any pending BCHABC/BCHSV distributions from the fork would be automatically applied to reduce the debt.
- Shortfall Protection: In cases where users still couldn’t meet repayment demands after exhausting these options, ZB.com absorbed the remaining losses, protecting borrowers from cascading liquidations or unfair penalties.
- Early Repayments: Users who repaid their loans after the snapshot but before the token distribution did not receive the forked coins for the repaid portion. This is because those tokens were already credited to lenders who had provided the original BCH.
- Temporary Feature Suspension: To prevent inconsistencies during processing, all BCH-related borrowing and repayment functions were temporarily disabled until after distributions were finalized.
Customer support teams reached out proactively to affected users, though individuals were also encouraged to contact support via live chat or email to expedite resolution.
Deposit and Withdrawal Updates
While trading began shortly after distribution, deposit and withdrawal services for BCHABC and BCHSV were not immediately enabled. ZB.com delayed these features until the underlying blockchains demonstrated sufficient network stability — including consistent block production, low risk of chain reorganization, and reliable transaction confirmation.
A follow-up announcement was promised once conditions were met, ensuring safe fund transfers without risk of loss due to network issues.
Core Keywords Integration
Throughout this update, several key terms reflect user search intent and technical relevance:
- Bitcoin Cash fork
- BCHABC vs BCHSV
- Cryptocurrency hard fork distribution
- BCH split details
- Exchange token snapshot
- Forked coin trading
- Blockchain network stability
- Crypto loan settlement after fork
These keywords naturally align with common queries around blockchain splits, exchange policies, and post-fork asset management — enhancing SEO performance while delivering genuine value.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Why did Bitcoin Cash split into BCHABC and BCHSV?
A: The split occurred due to irreconcilable differences in development vision. BCHABC focused on evolving the protocol with smart contracts and moderate scaling, while BCHSV aimed for massive blocks to maximize data throughput.
Q: Did I need to do anything to receive my BCHABC and BCHSV?
A: No action was required if you held BCH on ZB.com during the snapshot. Eligible users received both tokens automatically based on their balance at the time.
Q: What happened to my leveraged position in BCH after the fork?
A: All open leveraged positions were cleared. Borrowers needed to repay in both new tokens, using available assets or pending distributions. ZB.com covered any residual deficits.
Q: Can I still trade the original BCH?
A: No. The original BCH ceased trading on ZB.com after the fork. Instead, separate markets for BCHABC and BCHSV were introduced.
Q: When did deposits and withdrawals become available?
A: They were enabled only after blockchain stability was confirmed. Users were advised to monitor official announcements for exact timing.
Q: Was there a risk of losing funds during the fork?
A: ZB.com minimized risks through careful planning. By covering shortfalls in loan repayments and delaying withdrawals until networks stabilized, user assets remained protected.
Final Thoughts
The Bitcoin Cash fork of 2018 was more than just a technical upgrade — it was a test of exchange preparedness, user communication, and financial responsibility. ZB.com’s structured approach to snapshots, distributions, loan settlements, and market relaunch demonstrated a commitment to fairness and operational excellence.
As blockchain ecosystems continue to evolve through forks, upgrades, and governance debates, understanding how platforms handle such transitions becomes crucial for every crypto participant.
By staying informed and leveraging reliable platforms that prioritize security and transparency, investors can navigate even the most complex events with confidence.