BLAKE2b Fork: What Bitcoin Holders Need to Know

On September 1, 2026, a chain is due to launch that splits away from the Bitcoin blockchain. If you hold bitcoin, you do not need to transfer anything, exchange anything or unlock anything before then. That is what the project's own documentation says, and none of the reports so far contradicts it.

What is unusual is the level at which this fork intervenes. It reaches one layer deeper than the usual points of contention: what changes is the hashing algorithm used to produce blocks in the first place. SHA-256d becomes BLAKE2b. That renders every existing bitcoin mining machine useless for the new chain, and it is precisely at this point that it will be decided whether the new chain comes into existence in practice at all.

This article sets out the case: what is planned for September 1, what the backstory tells us, what risk a chain split actually creates for you, and how German tax law treats coins from a fork if you are ever allocated any. We explained the mechanics of a chain split as such in a separate article on August 20, 2026, on the bitcoin fork and how to secure your coins. Here the subject is this specific case and what sets it apart from earlier forks.

Bitcoin fork with BLAKE2b: what is planned for September 1, 2026