BIP-110 Bitcoin Fork Stalls After Two Blocks, Support Fades
The BIP-110 Bitcoin fork stalled at block 961,633 after mining just two blocks, falling 88 blocks behind the main chain. Only 2.53% of recent blocks signaled support, and prominent figures like Michael Saylor and Adam Back oppose the proposal, casting doubt on its future.
Quick Take
BIP-110 branch stalled after two blocks, now 88 behind non-enforcing chain.
Only 2.53% of preceding blocks signaled support for the fork.
Key figures Saylor and Back warn it threatens Bitcoin’s neutrality and credibility.
Slow progress likely until difficulty adjusts, but hashpower remains low.
Market Impact Analysis
NeutralThe stalled BIP-110 branch has negligible support and is unlikely to affect Bitcoin's main chain or price, causing minimal market impact.
Speculation Analysis
Key Takeaways
- The BIP-110 enforcing branch stalled after two blocks, now trailing 88 blocks behind the main chain.
- Only 2.53% of preceding blocks signaled support before mandatory signaling began.
- Prominent Bitcoin figures Michael Saylor and Adam Back warn the fork threatens Bitcoin's neutrality.
- Slow recovery likely without surge in hashpower as difficulty remains high for the branch.
What Happened
The BIP-110 Bitcoin fork stalled at block 961,633 on Sunday after producing only two blocks. The non-enforcing chain raced ahead to block 961,721, leaving the fork 88 blocks behind. The divergence started when BIP-110 entered mandatory signaling at block 961,632. BIP-110 nodes reject blocks without version bit 4 signaling, while standard nodes accept both. The branch now struggles under unchanged difficulty, with new blocks arriving hours apart. The Roughnecks mining group mined the two fork blocks using Ocean’s DATUM protocol. With low hashpower and strong opposition, the branch faces an uphill battle to survive.
The Numbers
The enforcing branch lags by 88 blocks, and only 2.53% of the preceding 2,016 blocks signaled support. Mandatory signaling continues through block 963,647—leaving 2,014 blocks until the difficulty adjustment. The branch must slog through this period with minimal hashpower. Without a significant increase, block production will remain painfully slow, possibly taking weeks to adjust. Two blocks in total have been mined on the fork, highlighting the lack of miner backing.
Why It Happened
Low hashpower support killed momentum. Only 51 out of 2,016 blocks signaled readiness before the mandatory phase. Bitcoin’s difficulty adjustment mechanism works against minority forks, as unchanged difficulty makes blocks 2016 times harder to find when hashpower is low. The fork also faced vocal opposition. Michael Saylor, though aligned with the goal, said the approach threatens Bitcoin’s rule neutrality. Adam Back warned it could damage credibility and create unspendable UTXOs. Such criticism likely deterred miners from joining.
Broader Impact
The stalled fork reinforces Bitcoin’s resistance to contentious changes. It may discourage future forced upgrades, as the economic cost of low-support forks becomes clear. Opposition from influential figures like Saylor and Back amplifies the message that consensus-level changes require near-unanimous support. The episode could soften the “spam wars” narrative, as users see that controversial proposals fail without miner backing.
What to Watch Next
- Monitor the difficulty adjustment at block 963,647. If no hashpower surge occurs, the branch may die entirely.
- Watch for statements from mining pools about BIP-110. Any major pool signaling support could change the trajectory.
- Observe Bitcoin’s mempool for spam transactions that motivated the proposal. If spam persists, pressure for a solution may resurface.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
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