Bitcoin Echo: Funding Proposal
The Last Bitcoin Implementation
The Problem
Bitcoin's future depends on software maintained by a small group of developers. Today, Bitcoin Core controls ~80% of the network. When one team controls the reference implementation, protocol changes become political decisions made by a handful of maintainers.
The 2025 OP_RETURN controversy demonstrated this fragility: a single policy change in Core v30 sparked the largest developer schism since the block size wars. Node operators found themselves choosing sides in a debate they didn't start and couldn't influence.
Bitcoin was designed to be trust-minimized. Its development process is not.
The Solution
Bitcoin Echo is a complete Bitcoin protocol implementation in pure C, designed to be built once, audited, and frozen forever.
- 15,000-25,000 lines of heavily commented C11
- Zero external dependencies beyond a C compiler
- Compile-time policy configuration: node runners control their own stance
- Professional comprehensive audit before release
- Permanent archive: blockchain hash, offline copies, time capsule
Upon completion, there is no version 2.0. No roadmap. No maintenance team to lobby. The code becomes a historical artifact that happens to validate blocks.
The Strategy
Surface Mission
Create an ossified, auditable implementation that serves as:
- A reference for Bitcoin protocol education
- A permanent fallback if other implementations fail
- A teaching tool for future generations of developers
Deeper Mission
Decentralize Bitcoin development itself.
Bitcoin Echo is the first of many new implementations we hope will come into being, especially after learning of our approach. If Echo and future independent implementations collectively capture significant network share, no single implementation holds majority influence. Protocol changes become nearly impossible without overwhelming technical consensus across multiple independent codebases.
The real ossification isn't in the code. It's in the network topology.
We aim to make Bitcoin ungovernable by making it unchangeable.
Structure & Mission
We intend to establish Bitcoin Echo Foundation as a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit. A portion of early donations will fund the incorporation and tax-exempt application process.
Mission: Develop and preserve a complete, ossified Bitcoin protocol implementation. Provide educational resources, curriculum, and documentation. Support academic research and long-term preservation.
Why 501(c)(3)? Tax-deductible donations for supporters. Grant eligibility for institutional funding. Long-term structure that supports the permanent artifact philosophy.
Ongoing Educational Mission: While the code freezes upon completion, the educational mission continues: curriculum development, documentation improvements, test coverage expansion, community education, academic partnerships, and long-term preservation.
Frequently Asked Questions
"If the code freezes, how do you fix bugs?"
Ossification means no evolution, not abandonment. Critical consensus bugs and security vulnerabilities are fixed via minimal errata releases (v1.0.1, v1.0.2, etc.). Documentation improvements, expanded comments, and additional test coverage are encouraged as part of our educational mission. The version number might reach v1.500.0 over a century through errata and educational improvements. It will never reach v2.0.0.
"What about future Bitcoin protocol changes?"
If Bitcoin adopts quantum-resistant signatures or other soft forks, we don't modify Bitcoin Echo v1.0. We create a successor—Bitcoin Echo-Q, Bitcoin Echo-R, etc. Each successor is itself frozen upon completion. See Whitepaper §15 (Cryptographic Succession) for details.
Current Status
| Phase | Status |
|---|---|
| Cryptographic Primitives | Complete |
| Consensus Engine | Complete |
| Storage Layer | Complete |
| Protocol Layer | Complete |
| Application Layer | In Progress |
| GUI Project | In Progress |
| Mining Interface | Planned |
| Testing & Hardening | Planned |
| Comprehensive Audit | Pending Funding |
Recent Milestones:
- Application Layer Nearly Complete: Full node operation, RPC interface, event loop, logging, observer mode
- GUI Project Started: Browser-based interface for visualizing Bitcoin Echo node operation
Timeline to v1.0: 3-5 months of development remaining (11+ development sessions: full node integration, mining interface, comprehensive testing, audit preparation, and final archival)
Funding Request
Funding Target: $500,000
Why $500,000? This target reflects a realistic assessment of remaining work: 11+ development sessions, comprehensive audit, infrastructure needs, and post-launch activities. The 15% reserve fund provides essential buffer for unexpected challenges, ensuring we can complete the project without compromising quality or scope.
Every Dollar and Satoshi helps. Contributions of any size advance the mission. Whether you can fund the comprehensive audit or contribute to infrastructure, your support moves Bitcoin Echo closer to completion. We welcome donations from individuals, foundations, and institutions—every contribution is meaningful and appreciated.
A portion of early donations will be used to establish Bitcoin Echo Foundation as a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit. Donations made during the application period may be retroactively tax-deductible upon IRS approval.
| Allocation | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Audit | $175,000 | Professional review by Trail of Bits or equivalent, including potential follow-up reviews |
| Development Completion | $125,000 | Full-time focus through v1.0 release (11+ remaining sessions: full node integration, mining interface, comprehensive consensus testing, fuzz testing, chain sync validation, audit preparation, documentation, release preparation, blockchain embedding, and archival) |
| Infrastructure | $50,000 | Hosting, multiple archive copies, long-term preservation, blockchain embedding |
| Foundation Setup | $10,000 | Incorporation, 501(c)(3) application, initial board formation |
| Reserve | $75,000 | 15% contingency fund for audit findings requiring rework, timeline extensions, unexpected infrastructure needs, and scope adjustments |
| Post-Launch Activities | $65,000 | Initial education materials, comprehensive documentation expansion, community outreach, academic partnerships, curriculum development, and early evangelism efforts |
Long-Term Vision: Ongoing Support
The code freezes, but the mission continues:
- Education: Comprehensive documentation explaining every line
- Evangelism: Growing Echo's network share to critical mass
- Teaching: University curriculum, workshops, tutorials
- Preservation: Ensuring the implementation survives centuries
We envision computer science students in 2075 studying Bitcoin Echo as a complete, annotated example of protocol implementation, the way classics students study primary sources today.
This is a life's work, not a product launch.
Why Fund This?
For Bitcoin Maximalists
Insurance against developer capture. A permanent conservative bloc that makes controversial soft forks economically risky.
For Educators
The first Bitcoin implementation designed to be read and understood, not just executed. Support educational preservation and curriculum development.
For Historians
A time capsule of Bitcoin's protocol at its most mature state, before whatever comes next. Your contribution preserves history for future generations.
For Anyone Who Believes in Decentralization
The logical conclusion of "don't trust, verify" is "don't trust the verifiers either." Support independent implementation development.
For Foundations & Institutions
Educational mission, clear deliverables, and long-term preservation goals. Upon establishment as a 501(c)(3), Bitcoin Echo Foundation will qualify for foundation grants and institutional funding.
Treasury Philosophy
Bitcoin Echo Foundation will be among the first Bitcoin Treasury Non-profits—a fitting approach for an organization dedicated to Bitcoin's long-term preservation.
Dual Treasury Strategy:
- Operating Reserve (USD/Stablecoins): 12-18 months of operating expenses maintained in stable assets, ensuring predictable execution of audits, development milestones, and infrastructure commitments
- Long-term Preservation Reserve (Bitcoin): Strategic Bitcoin holdings for the multi-decade educational mission, accepting and holding BTC donations rather than converting to fiat
Why This Approach?
Our mission spans centuries, not quarters. Bitcoin Echo aims to serve as an educational artifact and protocol reference for generations of developers who haven't been born yet. A growing Bitcoin treasury ensures the foundation can fulfill its preservation and educational mandate as long as the Bitcoin network itself endures.
This isn't a speculative bet—it's philosophical consistency. We're building permanent Bitcoin infrastructure. Our treasury should reflect the permanence we're building for.
We accept donations in both Bitcoin and USD. Bitcoin donations contribute to our long-term preservation reserve. USD donations fund immediate operational needs and the path to v1.0 release.
Team
Lead Developer: Building Bitcoin Echo with AI assistance, ensuring the entire codebase fits in one person's head. This is intentional. Complexity is the enemy of auditability.
Advisors & Ambassadors: We are actively seeking advisors and ambassadors from the Bitcoin development community who share the ossification philosophy. This is not a lone wolf project. We are alone right now, but we do not intend to remain so.
Upon establishing the foundation, we will form a board of directors for governance and oversight. We welcome technical advisors, community ambassadors, and contributors who believe in the mission of permanent, ossified Bitcoin implementation.
Contact
- Website: bitcoinecho.org
- GitHub: github.com/bitcoinecho
- 𝕏: @bitcoinechoorg
- Email: echo@bitcoinecho.org
Upon establishing Bitcoin Echo Foundation as a 501(c)(3), donations will be tax-deductible. Early donations made during the application period may be retroactively deductible upon approval.
Build once. Build right. Stop.
Then teach the world what you built.
