Key facts
- A Bitcoin fork, BIP-110, intended to block non-financial data like Ordinals inscriptions, has stalled.
- The fork mined only two blocks in about eight hours after splitting from the main chain.
- The breakaway chain has minimal hashpower, approximately 2.53% of recent blocks signaling support.
- Critics argue BIP-110 sets a dangerous precedent for censorship and erodes Bitcoin's censorship resistance.
- Michael Saylor stated that 99.85% of Bitcoin's hash power remained with the main network.
A proposed split of the Bitcoin network, known as BIP-110, which aimed to temporarily block non-financial data like Ordinals inscriptions from transactions, has stalled shortly after its activation. The breakaway chain, which initiated at block 961,632 on Saturday, managed to mine only two blocks in approximately eight hours before grinding to a halt. This limited progress left the minority chain dozens of blocks behind the main Bitcoin network.
The fork's failure to gain traction is largely attributed to its inherited difficulty setting from the main network, combined with a minuscule amount of hashpower—about 2.53% of recent blocks signaled support, far below the 55% activation threshold. This disparity means the breakaway chain faces an extended period before its next difficulty adjustment, potentially leaving blocks hours apart, in contrast to Bitcoin's roughly ten-minute interval.
Supporters of BIP-110 argued that the change was necessary to protect the network from spam and associated legal liabilities. However, a significant portion of the Bitcoin community, including prominent figures like Michael Saylor and Jameson Lopp, viewed the proposal as an attempt at censorship and a dangerous precedent. Saylor noted on X that the result was decisive, with 99.85% of Bitcoin's hash power remaining with the main network. Lopp further criticized BIP-110 supporters for being susceptible to propaganda and for harassing those who have worked to improve Bitcoin.
An additional complication for holders of the fork's coins is the risk of transaction replay attacks, where a sale on the minority chain could be replayed on the main Bitcoin network, potentially allowing a buyer to receive BTC from the same seller twice. The mandatory signaling window for BIP-110 is set to close at block 963,647, a target the stalled chain is unlikely to reach.