ECX Gas Model
Base Fees and Priority Fees on Snowside are always paid in ECX. Contract Fees (optional, opt-in by contract owner) may be denominated in ECX or USDC. There is no alternative gas token, no new minted token, and no pre-mine. The only assets on Snowside are ECX (for gas) and USDC (bridged from C-Chain via ICM).
Why ECX Gas Matters
Section titled “Why ECX Gas Matters”Using ECX as the native gas token preserves Bitcoin’s economic model. Users are not forced to acquire a new, speculative token to interact with the chain. They use ECX — eCash’s native cryptocurrency, secured by Bitcoin-class proof-of-work — for all transactions.
This design choice has several implications:
- No token launch, ICO, or pre-mine — Snowside is infrastructure, not an investment vehicle
- No governance token — protocol parameters are set by validators and the community
- Bitcoin holders can use Snowside without exposure to new token risk
- The gas market is denominated in a Bitcoin-secured digital asset
Acquiring ECX for Gas
Section titled “Acquiring ECX for Gas”Users acquire ECX for gas through two mechanisms:
Blind Merged Mining
Section titled “Blind Merged Mining”ECX flows between eCash and Snowside via the BMM peg mechanism. Block producers pay ECX to miners for commitments; users pay ECX to producers for transaction inclusion. The closed loop keeps ECX on the sidechain.
Bridges
Section titled “Bridges”Users can bridge value from other chains to obtain ECX on Snowside. The ICM bridge provides a trust-minimized path from Avalanche’s C-Chain. Third-party bridges may also support ECX deposits.
Preserving Bitcoin’s Economic Model
Section titled “Preserving Bitcoin’s Economic Model”Because ECX is the only gas token, Bitcoin’s economic incentives flow directly into Snowside. eCash miners who secure Snowside via BMM are paid in ECX. Users who transact on Snowside pay in ECX. The economic loop is entirely Bitcoin-native — no competing incentive structures, no token dilution, no governance games.
Comparison to Other Chains
Section titled “Comparison to Other Chains”| Chain | Gas Token | New Token? |
|---|---|---|
| Snowside | ECX | No |
| Ethereum | ETH | N/A |
| EthSide (retired) | BTC | No |
| Avalanche C-Chain | AVAX | N/A |
Snowside is the only EVM chain that uses ECX natively for gas. Snowside improves on the retired EthSide (which used BTC) by adding Avalanche consensus, ICM bridging, and NodΞRunr automation.