Key Takeaways
- Mandatory signaling for BIP-110 commenced at block 961,632 with miner backing at merely 2.53%, significantly under the required 55% activation threshold
- BIP-110-enforcing nodes started blocking non-signaling blocks, resulting in a separate minority blockchain
- Within eight hours, the minority chain managed only two blocks while Bitcoin’s primary network produced 48 blocks
- With full Bitcoin mining difficulty but minimal hashpower, the fork faces an estimated 350-day wait until the next difficulty recalibration
- Industry figures like Michael Saylor and Adam Back cautioned that this proposal threatens Bitcoin’s unity
A contentious Bitcoin upgrade proposal known as BIP-110 has activated its enforcement phase, yet the resulting minority blockchain has virtually stalled, managing to produce 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 activation occurred at block 961,632 on Saturday. At this point, nodes implementing BIP-110 began refusing blocks that lacked the required support signal embedded within them.
The critical issue is the absence of miner backing. From the preceding 2,016 blocks, only 51 included support signalsārepresenting a meager 2.53%. To achieve premature activation, the proposal requires 55% support.
Understanding the BIP-110 Proposal
Created by pseudonymous developer Dathon Ohm, BIP-110 introduces temporary limitations on Bitcoin’s block space usage for approximately one year.
Under this proposal, most fresh output scripts would face a 34-byte restriction, OP_RETURN outputs would be capped at 83 bytes, and specific data pushes plus witness elements would be constrained to 256 bytes. Additionally, several Taproot capabilities would experience temporary limitations.
Advocates argue these constraints would diminish inscriptions and non-monetary data embedded within Bitcoin transactions, which they claim elevates operational costs for node runners.
Critics counter that any participant paying transaction fees possesses the right to utilize block space however they see fit. Mining operation AntPool produced the initial non-signaling block, accepted by the primary network but rejected by BIP-110 nodes.
The Fork’s Challenges Explained
A miner utilizing Ocean generated the alternative block that the breakaway chain followed. This created two parallel chains, though the division is dramatically lopsided.
The minority blockchain inherited Bitcoin’s existing mining difficulty while commanding only a minimal portion of available hashpower. Consequently, blocks on the BIP-110 chain emerge at multi-hour intervals instead of the standard ten-minute cadence.
Bitcoin’s difficulty mechanism adjusts every 2,016 blocks. Monitoring systems tracking this situation project the BIP-110 chain won’t achieve this adjustment milestone for 350 days, contrasting sharply 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.
Transaction replay vulnerability presents another concern. Since both chains process identical transaction formats, a signed transaction on the fork can be rebroadcast on Bitcoin’s main network, establishing a potential exploit for purchasers.
Prominent critics including Michael Saylor and Blockstream’s CEO Adam Back have warned the proposal jeopardizes Bitcoin’s cohesion. Developer Chris Guida has mentioned exploring a proof-of-work modification as a contingency should miner resistance persist, though no implementation timeline exists.
The mandatory-signaling period extends through block 963,647.
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