Key Takeaways
- BIP-110 activated mandatory signaling at block 961,632 with a mere 2.53% miner backing, significantly under the required 55% threshold
- Software nodes enforcing the proposal started filtering out non-compliant blocks, spawning a separate minority chain
- This alternative chain managed only two blocks over an eight-hour period while Bitcoin’s primary network progressed by 48 blocks
- Despite inheriting Bitcoin’s complete mining difficulty, the fork chain possesses minimal hashpower, delaying the next difficulty recalibration to approximately 350 days
- Prominent figures like Michael Saylor and Adam Back expressed concerns that the initiative could fracture Bitcoin’s ecosystem
Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 110 has transitioned into its mandatory-signaling stage, yet the alternative blockchain it spawned has virtually stalled, managing to mine merely two blocks across approximately eight hours.
Saylor Says BIP-110 Fork Has Just 0.15% of Bitcoin Hashpower
Michael Saylor said about 99.85% of Bitcoinās hashpower remained on the main chain after the BIP-110 fork, while the minority branch mined only two blocks and fell more than 80 blocks behind. He estimated the BIP-110ā¦ pic.twitter.com/a9Bt2GfjwF
ā Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) August 9, 2026
This critical phase commenced at block 961,632 this past Saturday. Software clients implementing BIP-110 protocols began filtering out blocks lacking the designated support indicator for the proposal.
The core issue lies in insufficient miner participation. A scant 51 blocks out of the preceding 2,016 displayed support signals, representing a meager 2.53% adoption rate. To achieve premature activation, the proposal requires 55% consensus.
Understanding BIP-110’s Core Provisions
BIP-110 originated from pseudonymous developer Dathon Ohm. The proposal introduces temporary limitations on Bitcoin’s block space utilization, designed to remain active for approximately twelve months.
Under these guidelines, most newly created output scripts would face a 34-byte restriction, OP_RETURN outputs would be capped at 83 bytes, and specific data pushes along with witness elements would be confined to 256 bytes. Additionally, several Taproot functionalities would face temporary constraints.
Proponents contend these limitations would curtail inscriptions and non-monetary data embedded within Bitcoin transactions, which they claim elevates operational expenses for node administrators.
Critics counter that any entity compensating with transaction fees possesses the legitimate right to utilize block space according to their preferences. Mining operation AntPool generated the initial block without signaling support, which the primary network validated while BIP-110 nodes dismissed.
Challenges Facing the Alternative Chain
A mining entity utilizing Ocean created the block that the divergent chain subsequently followed. This development resulted in two concurrent blockchains, though the division proves overwhelmingly lopsided.
The alternative chain adopted Bitcoin’s existing mining difficulty level while commanding only a marginal portion of aggregate hashpower. Consequently, blocks on the BIP-110 blockchain emerge at multi-hour intervals rather than the standard ten-minute cadence.
Bitcoin’s difficulty mechanism recalibrates every 2,016 blocks. Monitoring systems analyzing the circumstances project the BIP-110 chain will achieve that recalibration milestone in 350 days, contrasted with 14 days for the primary blockchain.
As of approximately 6 a.m. UTC Sunday, Bitcoin’s main chain had advanced to block 961,681 while the BIP-110 variant remained at block 961,633.
An additional complication involves transaction replay vulnerability. Since both blockchains continue accepting identical transaction formats, a cryptographically signed transaction on the fork chain can simultaneously propagate across the main Bitcoin network, establishing a potential exploitation pathway for purchasers.
Critics of BIP-110, including Michael Saylor and Blockstream CEO Adam Back, have cautioned that the initiative threatens to splinter Bitcoin’s unified network. Developer Chris Guida has additionally explored implementing a proof-of-work modification as a contingency measure should miner resistance persist, although no implementation timeline has been established.
The mandatory-signaling period continues through block 963,647.
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