đš Replay Attack: How I Lost My BCH After 10 Years! đš
After a decade, I finally remembered the password to my old Bitcoin wallet! đ Since I had held Bitcoin for so long, I also owned its forks like Bitcoin Cash ($BCH) and eCash ($XEC). Naturally, I wanted to consolidate everything into a multi-platform wallet.
I sent my XEC from Electrum ABC to Binanceâeverything seemed fine⊠until 10 minutes later, when my BCH balance in Electron Cash vanished! đ±đž
What Happened? A Classic Replay Attack! đ
1ïžâŁ Forked Chains Share History â When Bitcoin split into Bitcoin Cash, both chains shared the same transaction history. đ
2ïžâŁ No Replay Protection â Some transactions valid on one chain can be "replayed" on the other if protections arenât in place.
3ïžâŁ Same Transaction, Different Chain â My XEC transaction was broadcasted on the BCH chain as well, unknowingly sending my BCH to an unintended address! đ
đ The Aftermath
Binance support couldnât recover my BCH because the recipient address wasnât under their control. Luckily, it was just $1 worth, but imagine if it were thousands!
đ„ How to Protect Yourself from Replay Attacks
â Split your coins properly before transacting using tools like "coin splitting" in forked wallets.
â Use separate wallets for different chains.
â Check for replay protection mechanisms before sending assets across forked blockchains.
Even though I doubt there's a way to reverse it, Iâd love to hear from crypto expertsâis there ANY way to recover my BCH? Let me know! đ