20 Cool Things You Can Do With BitWindow
Most people install BitWindow to hold their eCash (ECX) and touch the drivechains. Then they stop there.
That misses most of it. BitWindow is the main desktop app for eCash, built by LayerTwo Labs. It is packed with tools most wallets do not have.
We went through BitWindow's source code, version 0.2.263, to find what it can really do. Here are 20 things worth trying.
What is BitWindow?
BitWindow is the eCash desktop wallet and node manager. It runs the eCash node, the drivechain enforcer, and any sidechains you use, all from one window.
It comes in two modes. Full mode runs everything on your computer and needs about 1 TB of disk. Light mode connects to a remote server and starts in minutes. A few of the tools below need full mode.
Last verified: November 3, 2026.
BitWindow features for storing and proving things
1. Store a file or note on the blockchain forever
BitDrive writes text or small files straight into the eCash chain. Once it confirms, it is part of the chain's history for good.
You can tick a box to encrypt it with your wallet key, so only you can read it later. You pay a normal transaction fee to store it.
2. Prove a file existed on a certain date
The Timestamp tool takes a file up to 1 MB and records its fingerprint on chain. It does not upload the file itself.
Later, anyone with the same file can check it in Verify Timestamp. BitWindow shows the exact date it was stamped. It is useful for contracts, artwork or anything you might need to prove later.
3. Write a paper check
BitWindow can write a check for a set amount. You share it as a QR code, as text, or on paper. The other person cashes it when they want.
Treat a check like cash. Anyone who sees the private key on it can sweep the coins. Only show it to the person it is for. You can delete an unused check once you sweep it back.
4. Sign and verify messages
Sign Message proves you control an address without moving any coins. Verify Message checks someone else's signature.
It is the simplest way to prove ownership to an exchange, an escrow, or a skeptical friend.
Social and on-chain fun
5. Post to CoinNews
CoinNews is a message board written into eCash blocks. You pay a fee to post, and posts that pay more rank higher.
You can add it to your home screen as a plain feed. There is also a Hacker News style feed that mixes votes with how recent a post is.
6. Browse blockchain graffiti
The Graffiti Explorer shows every message people have written into the chain with OP_RETURN. It is a strange, often funny window into what people leave behind.
7. Message someone by their BitName
If someone owns a BitName, you can send them a message in BitWindow's Chat. There is a catch, by design: you pay to reach them.
BitWindow's own line for it is "You pay a name to reach it. They keep the postage." That makes spam expensive. Chat needs the BitNames sidechain running.
Privacy and coin control
8. Put your coins on a deniability schedule
Deniability moves a coin through a chain of your own addresses. You pick the number of hops and the delay between each one. It can also split the coin into chosen sizes along the way.
The goal is to make your coins harder to trace from the outside. It is a tool, not a guarantee, and each hop costs a fee.
9. See your coins by size, and label them
The UTXO tab shows a chart of your balance split by coin size. You can label any coin, so you remember where it came from.
Right-click a bar to see the coins in that size range.
10. Merge lots of small coins into one
Consolidate picks every coin below a size you set and merges them into one. Do it when fees are low, and future payments get cheaper.
You set the fee rate yourself, and BitWindow tracks each run.
11. Speed up or cancel a stuck payment
If a payment is stuck, Bump Fee pays more to get it mined sooner. If you change your mind before it confirms, Cancel Transaction sends the coins back to you instead.
Security tools
12. Use a Trezor hardware wallet
BitWindow can find a connected Trezor, ask for your PIN on the device, and use it to sign. Your keys stay on the hardware.
13. Sign with an air-gapped device
The PSBT signer lets you paste in an unsigned transaction. You sign it on a device that never touches the internet, then bring it back. It is the safest way to spend from cold storage.
14. Set up a multisig group
The Multisig Lounge lets you create a group wallet that needs more than one key to spend. It can save a setup file for a Coldcard, so the device knows the group before it signs.
15. Explore a seed phrase
The HD Wallet Explorer takes a seed phrase and a derivation path and lists the addresses it creates. It is handy for checking a backup, or finding coins sent to an address your main wallet does not show.
Never paste a real seed phrase into a computer you do not trust.
Mining and network tools
16. Solo mine with your own machines
BitWindow can run a mining server on your home network. Point your ASIC miners at it, and your own node builds each block. If you find one, the whole reward is yours.
It also shows each miner's temperature, fan speed and power draw, plus the expected time to find a block. Be ready for a long wait unless you have a lot of hashrate.
17. See which pools find the blocks
The Pools tab shows which pools found recent blocks and their share. It is a quick way to see how spread out eCash mining is. It needs full mode.
18. Watch for censored transactions
The Transaction Censorship page tracks every payment in the mempool and how long it has waited. Payments that pay a good fee but keep getting skipped stand out.
If miners ever start filtering payments, this is where you would see it first.
Drivechain tools
19. Vote on drivechain withdrawals
The Sidechain Withdrawal Admin lists every withdrawal bundle waiting for votes, and the recent vote history. If you mine, you can choose which bundles your blocks upvote.
This is the part of drivechain security that most people never see. Our article on the Liquid hack explains why it matters.
20. Propose a brand new drivechain
Anyone can propose a sidechain for an empty slot from BitWindow. The form asks for the build hashes, so others can check the software matches.
Miners then vote on it. If it collects enough votes, it goes live. Most of today's eCash drivechains started this way.
A few honest warnings
BitWindow is young software, and it moves fast. Some tools above may look different in your version, or need full mode.
Keep your recovery phrase offline. Sidechain wallets store their seeds on your computer, so protect the computer too.
Treat paper checks like cash.
Start any new tool with a small amount.
BitWindow features FAQ
What is BitWindow?
BitWindow is the desktop app for eCash (ECX). It runs the eCash node, the drivechain enforcer and sidechains, and it includes a wallet.
Is BitWindow free?
Yes. It is open source and published by LayerTwo Labs. You only pay normal network fees for anything you send or store.
Does BitWindow work with hardware wallets?
Yes. It supports Trezor directly, and Coldcard for multisig and air-gapped signing.
Do I need full mode?
No, most features work in light mode. Full mode is needed for some tools, such as the Pools tab, and uses about 1 TB of disk.
Can I mine eCash with BitWindow?
Yes. It can run a mining server for ASIC miners on your home network, or send your work to a pool.
Related reading
Sources
BitWindow source code, LayerTwo Labs, read at version 0.2.263 on November 3, 2026, for every feature and quote in this article
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