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Crypto network guide
The Bitcoin Cash Network, Explained
Quick answer
Bitcoin Cash is the 2017 fork of Bitcoin that raised block capacity to keep on-chain payments cheap — fees run under a cent while blocks arrive every 10 minutes. It caps supply at 21 million BCH, uses q… CashAddr addresses, and added the CashTokens standard in 2023.
Updated August 2026 · Reviewed by the Anytime Capital trading desk
Bitcoin Cash at a glance
- Launched
- 2017
- Consensus
- Proof of Work (SHA-256)
- Block time
- ~10 minutes
- Typical transfer time
- 10–60 minutes (usable in seconds for small payments)
- Typical network fee
- Under a cent – cents
- Native asset
- Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
Network fee: Typically well under $0.01 per transaction in 2025–2026. Third-party network figures, not Anytime Capital pricing — our pricing is on the fees & limits page.
How long does a Bitcoin Cash transfer take?
Bitcoin Cash mirrors Bitcoin's 10-minute blocks, but its blocks are rarely full — fees stay under a cent and zero-confirmation payments are commonly accepted for small amounts. Exchanges typically credit after 1–6 confirmations, so 10–60 minutes for deposits.
Compare every chain on one page: how long crypto transfers take on every major network.
The fork, stated neutrally
In August 2017, Bitcoin's scaling debate split the chain: one side kept small blocks and built payment layers above (Bitcoin + Lightning), the other raised the block size to keep everyday payments on the base layer (Bitcoin Cash, now with 32MB blocks). Both inherited the same history and 21-million cap. Nine years on, the market has priced the two paths very differently — but BCH's design goal holds up operationally: its blocks are rarely congested, so fees genuinely stay under a cent.
The address trap that CashAddr exists to prevent
BCH's legacy addresses are format-identical to Bitcoin's — the single most dangerous overlap in crypto, historically responsible for real losses in both directions. The CashAddr format (q…, often written bitcoincash:q…) was introduced in 2018 precisely to make BCH addresses visually unmistakable. The rule: send BCH only to q… addresses; if someone hands you a 1… address 'for BCH,' convert it to CashAddr in your wallet and re-verify which asset they actually mean before anything moves.
What runs on BCH today
Payments, mostly — point-of-sale processors, remittance corridors where sub-cent fees matter, and merchant tooling. The May 2023 CashTokens upgrade added native tokens and covenant capabilities to the chain, seeding a small DeFi scene, though no mainstream stablecoin runs on BCH in 2026. For dollar-pegged transfers, use a stablecoin network; for cheap final settlement of its own asset, BCH does exactly what it says.
Stablecoins on Bitcoin Cash
No mainstream stablecoins run on Bitcoin Cash. To move dollar-pegged value, use USDT or USDC on a supporting network — see stablecoins & their networks.
What does a Bitcoin Cash address look like?
| Format | Looks like | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CashAddr | Starts with q (or bitcoincash:q…) | The standard BCH format — introduced specifically to stop BTC/BCH mix-ups |
| Legacy | Starts with 1 or 3 | Identical to Bitcoin's format — the dangerous overlap; convert to CashAddr before sending |
Buy BCH — the #1 place to buy crypto with a debit card, wire, Apple Pay & more
Anytime Capital is a US-based money services business with thousands of customers. Debit and credit cards from every major US bank work here, verification takes minutes, and delivery goes straight to the Bitcoin Cash address you choose.
- Wire transfer
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Digital assets are not FDIC-insured, are not bank deposits, and may lose value. Availability and limits subject to identity verification and compliance review.
Bitcoin Cash network questions
About BCH
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