When Bitcoin Cash (BCH) first emerged from a hard fork of Bitcoin (BTC) in August 2017, it carried a bold mission: to become digital cash for everyday use. Promising faster transactions, lower fees, and larger block sizes, BCH aimed to fulfill what its creators believed Bitcoin had abandoned — a peer-to-peer electronic cash system accessible to all. But nearly eight years later, how does Bitcoin Cash stand in its ongoing comparison with Bitcoin? Has it carved out a sustainable niche, or has it fallen behind in the race for adoption and relevance?
The Evolution of Block Size and Scaling Philosophy
One of the most significant technical distinctions between Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash lies in their approach to scaling. In May 2018, Bitcoin Cash increased its block size from 8MB to 32MB — a 32x advantage over Bitcoin’s 1MB non-SegWit blocks. This design choice reflects BCH’s core belief: on-chain scaling through larger blocks enables higher transaction throughput without relying on complex second-layer solutions.
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With 32MB blocks processed every 10 minutes, Bitcoin Cash theoretically supports over 90,000 transactions per block — translating to more than 13 million daily transactions. In contrast, Bitcoin’s base layer handles roughly 600,000 per day under similar assumptions. Yet real-world data paints a different picture. Recent blockchain analytics show that BCH processes only around 192,800 transactions per day, just 1.5% of its maximum capacity.
This underutilization raises questions about demand. While low fees — averaging just $0.002 per transaction** — make BCH highly efficient, widespread usage hasn’t followed. Meanwhile, Bitcoin maintains significantly higher transaction volume despite average fees hovering near **$10, driven by strong network demand and institutional interest.
Bitcoin’s strategy leans heavily on Layer-2 solutions like the Lightning Network, which offloads microtransactions from the main chain to preserve decentralization while enabling near-instant payments. BCH proponents argue this adds unnecessary complexity, preferring simplicity and scalability directly on the base layer.
Transaction Volume and Market Adoption: A Tale of Two Networks
Three years after its inception, Bitcoin processes around 3.98 transactions per second (tps), up from 2.42 tps at the time of the fork. Bitcoin Cash has improved as well, reaching approximately 1.36 tps, but still lags behind BTC in both absolute volume and growth trajectory.
During a stress test in September 2018, BCH demonstrated its ability to handle up to 24 tps, proving technical readiness. However, consistent real-world adoption remains elusive. While services like Kim Dotcom’s K.im have integrated BCH for content monetization — citing its payment efficiency — such use cases remain limited in scale.
The broader market appears to favor Bitcoin not only as digital gold but also as a more robust ecosystem for innovation, DeFi integrations, and enterprise adoption. Even during periods of high network congestion, users continue choosing BTC, indicating strong trust and network effects.
Mining Dynamics and Decentralization Concerns
Both Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash use the SHA-256 hashing algorithm, allowing miners to switch between chains based on profitability. Historically, this led to hash rate fluctuations for BCH, especially during periods of low price stability.
Since early 2020, however, Bitcoin Cash’s hashrate has shown a steady decline — down ~58% year-over-year, while Bitcoin’s hashrate surged by 43%, reaching new all-time highs in early 2025. Several factors contribute to this divergence:
- Block reward halving: BCH underwent its first halving on April 8, reducing miner rewards from 12.5 to 6.25 BCH per block — a month before Bitcoin’s similar event.
- Miner migration: With higher profitability and greater security incentives, many SHA-256 miners shifted focus to BTC post-halving.
- Governance instability: Repeated hard forks — notably the contentious 2020 split into BCH ABC and BCH Node — damaged confidence among developers and miners alike.
Moreover, decentralization remains a concern. Over 50% of BCH blocks are mined by just three pools: AntPool, BTC.top, and BTC.com. This concentration contrasts with Bitcoin’s more distributed mining landscape and undermines one of cryptocurrency’s foundational principles.
Price Performance and Investor Sentiment
Bitcoin Cash reached its all-time high of $3,785** in December 2017. As of now, it trades around **$420, reflecting an ~88% drop from peak levels. In BTC terms, BCH is trading near historic lows at approximately 0.0013 BTC per BCH.
While BCH gained 36.5% in USD value over the past year, Bitcoin outperformed dramatically with a surge of nearly 284%. Market cap growth tells a similar story: BTC’s valuation rose 265% in 12 months, compared to BCH’s modest 20% increase.
Investor sentiment has clearly favored Bitcoin’s store-of-value narrative, especially amid global macroeconomic uncertainty and corporate treasury adoption. Meanwhile, BCH’s “digital cash” proposition has struggled to gain traction beyond niche communities.
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Can Bitcoin Cash Coexist with Bitcoin?
The future may allow both networks to thrive — but with distinct roles. Experts suggest a potential equilibrium where:
- Bitcoin (BTC) functions as digital gold — a scarce, secure store of value.
- Bitcoin Cash (BCH) evolves into a fast payment network — ideal for micropayments and daily transactions.
For this vision to materialize, BCH must overcome key challenges:
- Achieve consistent transaction growth beyond speculative spikes.
- Strengthen governance and developer engagement.
- Attract more merchant adoption and real-world utility.
Repeated internal conflicts and hard forks have weakened confidence. Losing prominent developers like Amaury Sechet after governance disputes highlights structural fragility.
FAQ: Common Questions About Bitcoin Cash vs Bitcoin
Q: What is the main difference between Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash?
A: The primary difference is block size. Bitcoin Cash uses larger blocks (up to 32MB) to support more transactions on-chain, while Bitcoin prioritizes security and decentralization with smaller blocks and Layer-2 scaling solutions like Lightning Network.
Q: Is Bitcoin Cash faster than Bitcoin?
A: Yes, BCH typically confirms transactions faster and charges lower fees due to less network congestion and larger block capacity.
Q: Why did Bitcoin Cash fork from Bitcoin?
A: It split in August 2017 due to disagreements over scaling. Some believed increasing block size was essential for usability; others preferred off-chain solutions to maintain decentralization.
Q: Can I use Bitcoin Cash for everyday purchases?
A: Technically yes — low fees make it suitable for small payments — but merchant acceptance is limited compared to traditional payment systems or even BTC in some regions.
Q: Does Bitcoin Cash have a future?
A: It depends on adoption. If more platforms integrate BCH for payments and it stabilizes governance, it could maintain relevance as a fast, low-cost alternative.
Q: Is mining Bitcoin Cash still profitable?
A: Profitability fluctuates with price and competition. Currently, most mining power favors BTC due to higher rewards and market stability.
Despite its technological promise, Bitcoin Cash faces an uphill battle in proving its long-term value against the dominant BTC network. While it delivers on speed and cost efficiency, widespread adoption remains its greatest hurdle.
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