August 1, 2025 marks a pivotal anniversary in Bitcoin's historyâeight years since the SegWit upgrade. Known as âBitcoin Independence Day,â this event reshaped Bitcoinâs future, birthed Bitcoin Cash, and laid the foundation for off-chain scaling via the Lightning Network.
In 2017, the crypto world was locked in a fierce debate over how Bitcoin should evolve. The dispute centered on a technical challengeâblock sizeâand it tore the community in two.
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âď¸ The Block Size War: Decentralization vs. Speed
Some wanted larger blocks to handle more transactions per second. Advocates like Roger Ver believed this would bring Bitcoin closer to its vision as âpeer-to-peer digital cash.â
Others warned that larger blocks would demand greater storage and bandwidth, effectively excluding smaller participants and making the network more centralized.
The compromise? Segregated Witness (SegWit)âactivated via BIP 91âoffered a way to optimize transaction capacity without altering the core block size. This solution preserved decentralization and enabled powerful scaling tools like the Lightning Network.
The opposing camp split off and launched Bitcoin Cash (BCH)âa new chain with bigger blocks, but an uncertain long-term trajectory.
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đ BTC vs BCH: A Tale of Two Chains, Eight Years Later
Metric Bitcoin (BTC) Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
Price on Aug 1, 2017 ~$2,718 ~$550
Price on Aug 1, 2025 ~$115,000 ~$552
All-Time High ~$124,600 (2025) ~$1,600 (May 2021)
Current Market Cap ~$2.2 trillion ~$10.9 billion
Adoption & Utility Store of value, Lightning Niche payment focus
BTC soared ~4,200% in eight years, cementing its role as the worldâs most trusted digital asset. In contrast, BCH struggled to retain momentum after the initial fork. While it promoted faster payments, it never achieved BTCâs level of trust, adoption, or network effect.
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đ Current Technical Outlook: Watch Your Step
While BTC has come far, the short-term technicals are showing some warning signs:
Current Price: ~$113,600
Key Resistance: $114,942
Support Levels: $112,643 â $110,587 â $108,420
RSI: 30.63 (near oversold, no bullish divergence yet)
50 SMA: Sloping downward at $117,264
A bearish engulfing candle, followed by a Three Black Crows pattern, indicates continued selling pressure. If price fails to reclaim the $114,900 resistance zone, bears may push it toward $110,600 or lower.
Trade setup:
đ Short on failed bounce at $114,900
â Stop loss: $116,000
đŻ Targets: $112,600 â $110,600
â Buyers need a strong breakout above $117,000 with volume to reverse trend
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đ§ Final Thoughts: A Legacy of Community, Not Code
Eight years after one of its most divisive chapters, Bitcoin remains the standard. The SegWit upgrade proved that protocol evolution can happen without sacrificing decentralization. It reminded the world that what makes Bitcoin powerful is not just its techâbut its community-driven governance.
This "Bitcoin Independence Day" may not bring fireworks on the charts, but it marks a deeper success: the survival and growth of a decentralized system against all odds.
Whether you're a trader, investor, or builderâAugust 1 is more than an anniversary. Itâs a testament to Bitcoinâs resilience