TLDR
Block 961,632 triggered BIP-110’s mandatory signaling phase with a mere 2.53% miner backing, dramatically below the required 55%
BIP-110-enforcing nodes started blocking non-compliant blocks, spawning a separate minority chain
In approximately eight hours, the minority chain managed only two blocks while Bitcoin’s primary chain mined 48
Despite inheriting Bitcoin’s complete mining difficulty, the fork commands minimal hashpower, delaying the next difficulty recalibration by roughly 350 days
Prominent figures like Michael Saylor and Adam Back cautioned that BIP-110 could fracture the Bitcoin network
The mandatory-signaling phase for Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 110 has commenced, yet the resulting minority blockchain has virtually stalled, managing to mine merely two blocks across approximately eight hours.
This critical juncture arrived at block 961,632 this past Saturday. Systems operating BIP-110 client software began filtering out any block lacking the designated support signal for the upgrade.
The fundamental issue lies in miner participation. Of the preceding 2,016 blocks, only 51 displayed support signals—translating to a meager 2.53% adoption rate. Early activation demands at least 55% consensus.
Understanding BIP-110’s Core Provisions
Developed by pseudonymous contributor Dathon Ohm, BIP-110 introduces temporary constraints on Bitcoin’s block space utilization, intended to last approximately twelve months.
The specification would impose a 34-byte ceiling on most fresh output scripts, establish an 83-byte maximum for OP_RETURN outputs, and enforce 256-byte restrictions on particular data pushes and witness components. Additionally, it would temporarily curtail several Taproot capabilities.
Proponents maintain these limitations would diminish inscriptions and non-monetary data embedded within Bitcoin transactions, which they contend elevates operational expenses for node maintainers.
Critics counter that any participant paying transaction fees possesses the legitimate right to utilize block space according to their preferences. Mining operation AntPool generated the initial non-compliant block, which the primary network validated while BIP-110 nodes dismissed.
The Fork’s Fundamental Challenges
A mining entity utilizing Ocean created the alternative block that the breakaway chain subsequently followed. This established two rival chains, though the division is starkly asymmetrical.
The minority blockchain assumed Bitcoin’s existing mining difficulty level but controls only a minimal portion of aggregate hashpower. Consequently, blocks on the BIP-110 chain emerge at intervals spanning multiple hours instead of the standard ten-minute cadence.
Bitcoin’s difficulty recalibration occurs every 2,016 blocks. Monitoring systems tracking this development project the BIP-110 chain will achieve that adjustment threshold in 350 days, contrasted with the main chain’s 14-day cycle.
By approximately 6 a.m. UTC Sunday, Bitcoin’s primary chain had progressed to block 961,681, whereas the BIP-110 chain remained at block 961,633.
Another concern involves transaction replay vulnerability. Since both chains still process identical transaction formats, a cryptographically signed transaction on the fork chain can simultaneously be propagated across the main Bitcoin network, establishing a potential exploitation pathway for purchasers.
Notable BIP-110 detractors including Michael Saylor and Blockstream’s CEO Adam Back have expressed concerns that the proposal threatens to fragment Bitcoin. Developer Chris Guida has additionally explored a proof-of-work modification as a contingency plan should miner resistance persist, although no implementation timeline has been established.
The mandatory-signaling period extends through block 963,647.
