OKX Policy on BTG Hardfork

Dear OKX Users:

The hardfork proposed by the Bitcoin Gold (“BTG”) is expected to occur at the block height of 491407 (HKT – Oct 24 2017). OKX, as a company dedicated to promote Bitcoin application, would continue to strive for providing the best services to our customers.   Therefore, we have decided to conduct an asset snapshot before the fork and would then make a reasonable attempt to credit our users BTG subjected to our review on network status and BTG codes.

Full details of policies as below:

1. Due to the variability of block creation within the BTC network, Block height 491407 was reached at 9:20 am (HKT) on 24th October, 2017. According to the change has conducted and completed the wallet snapshot on 24th October, 2017 at 9 a.m. (HKT), deemed balance of OKX’s spot account would be determined by the snapshotted quantity of BTC, while the deemed balance of OKX’s futures account would be determined by the snapshotted equity BTC balance (BTC equity balance = Margins + Unrealized PnL+ Realized PnL). Any BTC deposit made after the snapshot will not be counted.

2. If it is beyond our reasonable doubt that the BTG hardfork is unable to create further blocks and/or BTG does not provide sufficient safety measurement to our users (for example, a lack of replay protection or a loophole in protocols), It is at OKX’s sole and absolute discretion that OKX would release BTG and open a trading market for BTG.

3. If BTG, after a thorough review from OKX, is deemed to be safe and functioned properly, OKX would credit BTG at the time which OKX deems to be appropriate. At the time OKX’s users are expected to claim your deemed BTG in OKX’s spot account.

4. At 9:00-14:00 (HKT) dated 24^th Oct, 2017, OKX would suspend all withdrawal of Bitcoin. Withdrawal would be resumed until further notice. 

5. OKX would provide utmost support to BTG according to various aspects such as its actual operation, technology level, BTG’s team continuous development, market liquidity and regulatory compliance. We will faithfully consider the timing of BTG’s trading market. We appreciate your patience and we shall issue another announcement in respect to such matter.

Main Features of BTG 

• BTG plans on adding SIGHASH_FORKED (replay protection measure) 4 as Bitcoin Cash (BCH) did when it hard forked, but as of 2017/10/21. 
• BTG is pre-mined. This refers to the blockchain mining that takes place in a non-public environment, which may result in unequal distribution of new coins and profits margins that lean heavily towards the original supporters and developers of BTG.  
• BTG will apply the Equihash Proof of Work (PoW) algorithm. This algorithm is different from the SHA256 algorithm that Bitcoin is using because it is a memory-oriented PoW, which is limits hash power by how much RAM you have. As a result, it is resistant to mining using ASICs

Bitcoin Gold does not currently have:

• Fully formed consensus code
• Implemented replay protection
• Adequate code for testing and auditing
• Publicly known code developers

Bitcoin Gold codebase also contains a private premine of 8,000 blocks (100,000 BTG). 

Please be aware that if a market does open there is a possibility of the developers selling their premined BTG on the open market.

As of 2017/10/21, BTG does not have replay protection and has not yet completed the move to an Equihash PoW algorithm. The date of the hard fork and the activation of the BTG blockchain is still unconfirmed, and it is uncertain whether or not blocks will be stably generated.

www.OKX.com

October 24, 2017