What is the GHOST Archive?

The GHOST Archive is an independent historical and technical research archive covering John McAfee's GHOST privacy cryptocurrency, including its whitepapers, technology, ecosystem, controversy, and post-2020 development. It is not the official GHOST project and is not affiliated with John McAfee's estate or any related project.

Is the GHOST Archive investment advice?

No. The GHOST Archive is an independent research project and does not provide investment advice. All market and status indicators require current verification.

When did John McAfee's GHOST coin launch?

GHOST was announced in April 2020, distributed via the ESH snapshot on May 25, 2020, and reached mainnet genesis on June 22, 2020.

What is The GHOST Archive?

John McAfee GHOST Coin : The definitive independent research , whitepapers, and legacy of John McAfee's GHOST privacy cryptocurrency.

RESEARCH ARTICLE

The ESH / Switch Airdrop

How GHOST was first distributed.

Editorial metadata · E-E-A-T

Author

The GHOST Archive Editorial Team

Editor

The GHOST Archive Editorial Team

Published

2024-01-01

Updated

2026-10-08

Last verified

2026-10-08

Direct answer

GHOST was first distributed to holders of ESH, the Switch ecosystem token, via a snapshot on May 25, 2020, before migrating to the mainnet coin.

What ESH was

ESH was the token of the Switch privacy marketplace ecosystem, associated with McAfeeDEX. It became the vehicle for GHOST's initial distribution.

Distribution flow

Flow diagram

ESH

↓

SNAPSHOT (May 25 2020)

↓

ERC20 GHOST

↓

GHOST MAINNET

↓

TOKEN SWAP

Sources

S-01Original GHOST Whitepaper (May 2020)PRIMARY
2020-05 · whitepaper · supports: Original architecture, ESH distribution, supply proposal
https://web.archive.org/web/2020/https://ghostbymcafee.com/
S-09Cointelegraph coverageSECONDARY
2020–2021 · news coverage · supports: Launch, controversies, McAfee departure/return
https://cointelegraph.com/