Minority Chain Meltdown: XBT Ticker Grab and Mining Revolt Grip BTCB2

The BTCB2 fork, launched on August 8 2026 at block 961632, has entered a new phase of controversy. Two small exchanges listed the chain under the ticker XBT, a code traditionally reserved for Bitcoin (BTC) on institutional platforms.

XBT Ticker Choice Sparks Backlash

Neoxa Exchange changed the ticker from BTCB2 to XBT after being persuaded by the project team. Critics on social media argued that using XBT misleads users, since XBT is the ISO‑compliant code for Bitcoin and appears in Kraken futures APIs and historical data. Neoxa responded that the exchange follows the project’s chosen ticker and that it clearly marks deposits and withdrawals.

Price Decline and Trading Activity

Following the ticker change, BTCB2 (now XBT on Neoxa) traded between $250 and $350 per unit, down from earlier reports of $750–$1,000. The USDC market recorded roughly 915,672 USDC in 24‑hour volume, while the BTC market saw 5.35 BTC traded.

Mining Centralization Concerns

On September 8, the mining pool Alphapool controlled over 50 % of BTCB2’s hashrate, prompting a debate over network decentralization. A GitHub proposal to blacklist Alphapool’s payout address was labeled “DO NOT RUN THIS CODE” by Knots creator Luke Dashjr. Alphapool later announced a voluntary cap at 30 % of the network’s hashrate, reducing its share to under 18 % by the afternoon.

Community Reaction

Supporters and critics alike questioned whether the concentration of hashpower constituted an attack or simply profit‑driven mining. Alphapool defended its position, describing the criticism as “deeply unsettling” and warning against ignoring observable reality.

Current Network Statistics

• BTCB2 is approximately 3,866 blocks ahead of the Bitcoin blockchain.
• Network hashrate is estimated at 16.9–17.6 PH/s.
• 27 mining pools are active, including Alphapool, Pyblock, mycology, Pow.re, Bitcoin Xor, and others.