diff --git a/doc/release-notes.md b/doc/release-notes.md
--- a/doc/release-notes.md
+++ b/doc/release-notes.md
@@ -5,3 +5,5 @@
   <https://download.bitcoinabc.org/0.24.0/>
 
 This release includes the following features and fixes:
+ - The `-ecash` setting is now **enabled by default**. To use the old BCHA
+   default unit and bitcoincash: CashAddr prefix, use the `-ecash=0` option.
diff --git a/src/currencyunit.h b/src/currencyunit.h
--- a/src/currencyunit.h
+++ b/src/currencyunit.h
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 class ArgsManager;
 
-constexpr bool DEFAULT_ECASH = false;
+constexpr bool DEFAULT_ECASH = true;
 
 void SetupCurrencyUnitOptions(ArgsManager &argsman);
 
diff --git a/src/test/util/setup_common.cpp b/src/test/util/setup_common.cpp
--- a/src/test/util/setup_common.cpp
+++ b/src/test/util/setup_common.cpp
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@
             "-debug",
             "-debugexclude=libevent",
             "-debugexclude=leveldb",
-            "-ecash",
         },
         extra_args);
     // clang-format on
diff --git a/test/functional/abc_rpc_ecash.py b/test/functional/abc_rpc_ecash.py
--- a/test/functional/abc_rpc_ecash.py
+++ b/test/functional/abc_rpc_ecash.py
@@ -37,12 +37,7 @@
                      expected_sats / satoshis_per_unit)
 
     def run_test(self):
-        # Unset the test framework's default.
-        if "-ecash" in self.nodes[0].default_args:
-            self.nodes[0].default_args.remove("-ecash")
-
-        self.log.info("Test with -ecash enabled")
-        self.restart_node(0, ["-ecash"])
+        self.log.info("Test with -ecash enabled (default setting)")
         self.test_currency(ticker="XEC",
                            satoshis_per_unit=100,
                            decimals=2)
diff --git a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
--- a/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
+++ b/test/functional/test_framework/test_node.py
@@ -108,7 +108,6 @@
             "-debugexclude=leveldb",
             "-uacomment=" + self.name,
             "-noprinttoconsole",
-            "-ecash",
         ]
 
         if use_valgrind:
diff --git a/test/util/bitcoin-util-test.py b/test/util/bitcoin-util-test.py
--- a/test/util/bitcoin-util-test.py
+++ b/test/util/bitcoin-util-test.py
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
     # Get the exec names and arguments
     execprog = os.path.join(
         buildenv["BUILDDIR"], "src", testObj["exec"] + buildenv["EXEEXT"])
-    execargs = ["-ecash=1"] + testObj['args']
+    execargs = testObj['args']
     execrun = [execprog] + execargs
     if buildenv["EMULATOR"]:
         execrun = [buildenv["EMULATOR"]] + execrun