CoinDesk
Bitcoin hit block 961,632 on Saturday, triggering the mandatory signaling window for BIP-110, a controversial proposal designed to temporarily restrict non-financial data from being embedded in the network. The proposal entered the signaling phase at roughly 19:35 UTC, but miner support has yet to exceed 2.5%, far below the 55% threshold required for conventional activation. Strategy chairman Michael Saylor and Blockstream CEO Adam Back have publicly opposed the measure.
Why it matters
Because miner support is so far below threshold, BIP-110's backers have reframed it as a user-activated soft fork, or UASF. In that model, node operators update their software to reject any block from miners not signaling BIP-110, attempting either to coerce the mining sector into compliance or carve out a separate chain. Supporters cite the 2017 activation of SegWit via BIP-148 as precedent, when user pressure activated the upgrade despite weak miner buy-in. The signaling window runs until block 965,664, expected in about four weeks.
Market impact
The immediate effect of any node adoption is rejection of the chain nearly the entire mining sector is producing. That sets up a credible path to two competing Bitcoin networks: the dominant mainnet, backed by the vast majority of hash power and institutional capital, and a minority BIP-110-enforcing chain populated only by participating nodes. Chain splits historically weigh on price through uncertainty, exchange-replay risk, and a sharp repricing of the minority chain. The next month now carries a binary outcome: the UASF attempt collapses for lack of nodes, or Bitcoin splits.
Frequently asked questions
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What is BIP-110?
BIP-110 is a proposed Bitcoin soft fork designed to temporarily restrict non-financial data, such as inscriptions and arbitrary metadata, from being embedded in transactions on the network.
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Why is miner support for BIP-110 so low?
Miner signaling has stayed below 2.5%, far short of the 55% threshold needed for conventional activation, suggesting the mining industry broadly opposes the change.
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What is a UASF and how does it apply to BIP-110?
A user-activated soft fork lets node operators enforce a rule change by rejecting blocks from miners who do not signal support. BIP-110's backers are now pushing that path because miner buy-in is too weak for normal activation.
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Could BIP-110 actually split Bitcoin into two chains?
Yes. If enough node operators adopt BIP-110 and reject non-signaling miners' blocks, a minority chain enforcing the new rules could run in parallel with mainnet, which retains the vast majority of hash power.
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What happens next in the BIP-110 signaling window?
Signaling runs until Bitcoin reaches block 965,664, expected in about four weeks. The window will end with either the UASF attempt fading for lack of node adoption or a live chain split.
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