EthereumPoW (ETHW)

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Overview

EthereumPoW (ticker: ETHW) is a proof-of-work blockchain that split from Ethereum at the time of the Merge in mid‑September 2022. It keeps the mining-based design that Ethereum used before moving to proof‑of‑stake. ETHW runs an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), uses the Ethash mining algorithm, and has the same account model and smart contract language (Solidity) as pre‑Merge Ethereum. In practice, that means most tools and developer workflows built for Ethereum can also work on EthereumPoW with minimal changes. The chain’s ID is 10001, and the native coin used for gas is ETHW. (medium.com)

Because it preserved mining, EthereumPoW appeals to miners and users who prefer a proof‑of‑work network. It aims to offer a familiar environment for decentralized apps (dapps), tokens, and NFTs, while keeping a security model based on hash power rather than staking. At the same time, its ecosystem differs from Ethereum’s in important ways. Key infrastructure providers and large stablecoin issuers chose not to support PoW forks after the Merge, which shaped how apps and liquidity developed on ETHW. (cointelegraph.com)

History & Team

Origins and launch

In the months leading up to the Merge, a group of miners and contributors proposed keeping a PoW version of Ethereum alive. A collective calling itself “ETHW Core” coordinated the fork, stating that the ETHW mainnet would go live within 24 hours after the Merge. The chain launched on September 15, 2022, shortly after Ethereum finalized its move to proof‑of‑stake. ETHW changed its chain ID to 10001 to add replay protection and published RPC and explorer details for users and tools. (cryptotimes.io)

The fork did not introduce a single named founder. Instead, it organized around a loose community of miners, developers, and industry supporters. Miner Chandler Guo promoted the idea publicly. Exchanges like Poloniex, linked to Justin Sun, signaled support by listing “ETHW” markets during the transition period, and later several centralized exchanges enabled ETHW deposits and spot trading. (benzinga.com)

Early controversies and later changes

In August 2022, before the launch, ETHW Core floated a plan to temporarily freeze certain DeFi liquidity pool contracts to protect forked assets, which sparked criticism from parts of the community concerned about decentralization. The team later emphasized other safety changes, such as enforcing EIP‑155 chain‑ID signing to prevent replay attacks across forks. (cointelegraph.com)

On December 18–19, 2023, the core development organization announced it was dissolving “to achieve full autonomy,” transferring some servers to OneDAO for transitional maintenance. The statement said the chain would keep proof‑of‑work long term and pursue community‑driven governance. While unusual, this move formalized what had already been true in practice: ETHW was operating without a centralized foundation. (medium.com)

Technology & How It Works

Consensus and mining

EthereumPoW uses Ethash, the same proof‑of‑work algorithm Ethereum used before the Merge. Blocks target roughly 13 seconds, and miners compete by hashing to propose new blocks and collect rewards. The “difficulty bomb” that would have made PoW impractical was removed in ETHW’s client code, allowing mining to continue. (whattomine.com)

EVM compatibility and chain parameters

ETHW is EVM‑compatible. Contracts written in Solidity can be deployed, and wallets like MetaMask connect by specifying ETHW’s network details. ETHW’s main parameters are:

• Network name: ETHW‑mainnet
• Chain ID: 10001
• RPC endpoint: mainnet.ethereumpow.org
• Explorers: ethwscan.com and OKLink’s ETHW page

These details were published by ETHW Core at launch and allow standard Ethereum tools to interact with the chain. (medium.com)

Fee mechanism and base‑fee handling

Pre‑Merge Ethereum introduced EIP‑1559, which burns the base fee portion of gas. ETHW modified this behavior. Early materials from the ETHW side indicated that the base fee would not be burned and instead be redirected to a multisig/community address (often referred to as the “1559 multisig”), alongside other launch specifics like producing 2,048 empty blocks to finalize chain parameters. This positioned miner tips and base‑fee handling differently than on Ethereum after London. (waya.media)

Replay protection and bridges

ETHW changed its chain ID and enforced EIP‑155 to prevent simple cross‑chain replays. However, shortly after launch, a third‑party bridge suffered a contract‑level replay exploit because it failed to validate chain IDs correctly. The incident did not stem from ETHW’s base protocol but highlighted the need for careful contract design when bridging with new forks. (cryptoslate.com)

Tokenomics & Utility

Supply, issuance, and block rewards

ETHW has an uncapped supply. Like pre‑Merge Ethereum, issuance comes from block rewards to miners and transaction fees (tips). Mining pools and network data sources report a base block subsidy of 2 ETHW per block, with additional miner income from tips and any protocol‑directed base‑fee redirection. This setup makes ETHW’s monetary policy closer to historical Ethereum PoW than to post‑Merge Ethereum, which burns base fees and issues staking rewards. (okx.com)

Initial distribution

At the fork, addresses that held ETH on the canonical chain received an equal amount of ETHW on the PoW chain at the snapshot block. All ERC‑20 tokens and contracts were copied at the state level, though off‑chain issuers or oracles may not recognize or support their forked versions. This state copy made ETHW immediately familiar to developers but also introduced complexity for assets reliant on external backing or data feeds. (airdropbob.com)

What ETHW is used for

• Paying gas for on‑chain transactions and smart contract execution
• Compensating miners for securing the chain
• Serving as the base asset in dapps, DEXs, or NFTs that deploy on ETHW
• Transacting within apps that choose to operate on the PoW network

Because ETHW is EVM‑compatible, builders can port many styles of applications: DeFi trading, NFT minting, gaming assets, or basic token transfers. The actual mix of active apps depends on infrastructure support and user adoption at any time. (medium.com)

Ecosystem & Use Cases

EthereumPoW offers a familiar developer experience. Wallets like MetaMask connect by adding a custom network; popular node clients and block explorers exist; and miners secure the chain through public mining pools. In practice, apps on ETHW tend to focus on:

• Simple transfers and on‑chain utility that do not rely on off‑chain issuers
• NFT collections and marketplaces deployed specifically for ETHW users
• DEXs and community tools tailored to PoW participants
• Mining‑focused services, calculators, and pool dashboards (support.metamask.io)

There are also limits. Major oracle providers announced they would not support PoW forks post‑Merge, and leading fiat‑backed stablecoins did not recognize balances on ETHW. This reduces the plug‑and‑play portability of many DeFi apps that depend on oracles and redeemable stablecoins, and it explains why some protocols either paused or chose not to operate on the new chain. (cointelegraph.com)

Advantages & Challenges

Advantages

• Familiar environment: ETHW keeps the Ethereum developer stack—Solidity, EVM, common tooling—so code and skills transfer easily. (medium.com)
• Open mining: Anyone with compatible hardware can participate in block production and earn rewards, aligning with communities that prefer PoW security. (whattomine.com)
• Clear chain identity: A distinct chain ID and EIP‑155 enforcement provide replay protection for standard transactions. (coincodecap.com)

Challenges

• Limited infrastructure support: Major oracles and some large issuers chose not to support PoW forks, which constrains certain DeFi designs on ETHW. (cointelegraph.com)
• Ecosystem scale: After the Merge, most developers, liquidity, and tooling remained on Ethereum’s PoS chain and its Layer‑2s, making it harder for ETHW to match network effects.
• Security at the edges: Third‑party bridges and cloned apps must adapt carefully; early misconfigurations showed how cross‑chain contracts can be vulnerable if they do not validate chain IDs. (cryptoslate.com)
• Funding and stewardship: With the core team disbanded in December 2023, long‑term upgrades and coordination rely even more on miners, pools, exchanges, and independent contributors. (cointelegraph.com)

Where to Buy & Wallets

EthereumPoW can be purchased on major centralized exchanges that list ETHW. Notable platforms that have announced spot support include OKX, Gate.io, Kraken, KuCoin, Poloniex, MEXC, BingX, and others. Exchange availability can vary by region and over time, but these venues have published ETHW listing or “how to buy” pages. (okx.com)

ETHW works with EVM wallets. MetaMask supports ETHW via a custom network entry using the ETHW RPC, chain ID 10001, and an ETHW block explorer. Hardware wallets that connect through MetaMask can sign transactions on ETHW when the network is added. The official ETHW launch post lists the network name, RPC URL, chain ID, and explorers to enter. (medium.com)

Regulatory & Compliance

In the United States, there is no special classification just for ETHW. It functions as the native coin of a public blockchain used to pay transaction fees and run smart contracts. Centralized exchanges that support ETHW typically apply standard compliance controls—such as identity verification and monitoring—consistent with their licensing and policies. In the EU, the Markets in Crypto‑Assets Regulation (MiCA) focuses on disclosure, governance, and service‑provider obligations. MiCA also introduces sustainability indicators for crypto‑assets, asking service providers to disclose energy use and related environmental metrics. Since EthereumPoW relies on proof‑of‑work, exchanges and providers in Europe may include ETHW’s consensus energy data in those sustainability reports. (esma.europa.eu)

Separate from financial regulation, some jurisdictions have addressed PoW mining from an environmental angle. In November 2022, New York enacted a two‑year moratorium on certain fossil‑fuel‑powered PoW mining permits and directed the state’s environmental agency to conduct an impact study. Measures like this do not target a specific coin but can affect where PoW miners operate. (publicpower.org)

On faith‑based compliance, views among Islamic scholars vary. Many scholars who treat cryptocurrencies as digital assets consider native coins like ETHW generally permissible when used for lawful purposes and not tied to interest or prohibited activities. Others raise questions about speculative trading or the environmental footprint of PoW systems. In short, there is no single global ruling; acceptability often depends on use case, intent, and the guidance of one’s chosen scholars. This mirrors the broader discussion around cryptocurrencies rather than anything unique to ETHW.

Future Outlook

EthereumPoW’s future rests on a few practical questions: the size and stability of its mining community, continued exchange support, and whether developers choose to deploy apps that do not rely on PoS‑only infrastructure like certain oracles or fiat‑backed stablecoins. As Ethereum’s PoS chain scales through Layer‑2 rollups, ETHW will likely define itself by a different value proposition: a general‑purpose, EVM‑compatible chain that keeps proof‑of‑work and an open mining set.

Two areas could shape the path forward:

• Niche deployments that work without external issuers (e.g., NFTs, games, community tokens) and can run on native ETHW.
• Community governance and maintenance now that the original coordinating group has dissolved, including client releases, RPC infrastructure, and documentation that keep the network usable. (cointelegraph.com)

Because ETHW is a fork with familiar tooling, it remains straightforward for developers to experiment. Whether it grows will depend less on raw compatibility and more on network effects—apps users want, bridges that are well‑engineered, and miners who keep the chain secure at meaningful hash rates.

Summary

EthereumPoW is the Ethereum you remember from before the Merge—mined blocks, Ethash consensus, and an EVM that runs Solidity smart contracts. It launched within hours of the Merge with a distinct chain ID and network settings, kept a 2 ETHW block reward, and chose a fee policy that does not burn the base fee as Ethereum does today. The result is a familiar but distinct Layer‑1 that serves communities who prefer proof‑of‑work and open mining.

ETHW’s strengths include its compatibility with the Ethereum toolchain and its straightforward mining model. Its constraints include more limited infrastructure support from major oracles and issuers, which affects certain DeFi apps, along with the need for community‑led maintenance after the core group’s dissolution. For users and builders, the chain offers a PoW alternative with a well‑known developer experience, leaving adoption to be driven by use cases that fit its design and the communities that choose to run on it. (medium.com)