What is BCH Bank Run?
The initial discussion on the BCH Podcast which spawned the idea of BCH Bank Run. Full episode here.
BCH Bank Run is a twice monthly social event, where the BCH community buys & withdraws BCH from cryptocurrency exchanges en-masse in a co-ordinated burst. It can be thought of as a form of decentralised social financial activism, similar to the social-media fuelled /r/wallstreetbets buybacks of GME (Gamestop) stock.
Background & Motivation
A central principle of Bitcoin ~. This has been best captured in the phrase "Not Your Keys, Not Your Coins".
This ethos is fading in the Bitcoin Core community since the Hijacking and brand - but the BCH community will not relinquish it.
At a macro scale, the BCH community is converting the entire planet to using BCH non-custodially for all their financial transactions. However, the challenge is that governments can print a literally infinite amount of fake fiat currency to fight back. This means governments have limitless funding until they print so much that hyperinflation forces their desperate population to seek refuge in limited-supply, non-custodial BCH for their financial transactions.
This endless money printing is undoubtedly used to manipulate & suppress the price of Bitcoin Cash, the only question is how much & to what extent.
Motivation
BCH Bank run serves several different purposes:
- Challenging market manipulation: ~. Given enough ~.
- Marketing: A sudden sharp rise in BCH price is an attention-attracting event to other cryptocurrency speculators or market participants. Repeated rises become a source of curiosity as to why BCH is behaving this way & prompts further investigation. Discovering the BCH community is coordinating this in a decentralised way to reinforce its culture of self-custody is even more impressive & fascinating.
- Fun: The regular occurrence of BCH Bank Runs is a fun thing for the community to celebrate & participate in as a culture.
History & Results
The first BCH Bank Run was held on 1st March 2025. The BCH price improved noticeably in the following days, but this may have been a coincidence.
More data points are needed from coming bank runs.
How to participate
Many cryptocurrency users already DCA (dollar cost average) their purchases according to their paycheck income cycle or regularly buy BCH. In this case, simply changing that regular purchase & withdraw to 1st &/or 15th of each calendar month is a simple adjustment to ~.
FAQ
Q: Why is this so impactful?
A: Price is set at the margins, and volatility increases when liquidity is low. Thus a sudden surge of BCH purchasing orders can make a significant impact, particularly if it forces BCH shorters to scramble to acquire real coins to honour their withdrawals.
Q: How will we know if this is working?
A: First, by monitoring social media to see if viral traction or reactions are picking up. Second by watching the market to see if BCH price responds to the bank runs. And third by watching exchanges, if they are forced to close BCH withdrawals due to lack of coins (likely covered by some other excuse) or acknowledge these bank runs in any way then it means the pressure is starting to seriously hit home.