Bitcoin BIP‑110 Softfork Nears Activation as Miner Support Stalls Below 1%

Bitcoin’s BIP‑110 proposal seeks to impose a one‑year limit on data inscriptions such as Ordinals, reducing the allowed OP_RETURN size and capping transaction data at 256 bytes. The mandatory signaling phase begins at block 961,632, expected around August 7, with full enforcement slated for September 1, regardless of miner backing.

Miner signaling remains at just 0.86% of hash power, far below the 55% threshold required for an early lock‑in, making the activation mathematically unlikely. Nevertheless, the softfork will lock in automatically once the deadline passes. Critics, including Blockstream CEO Adam Back and MicroStrategy founder Michael Saylor, argue the change threatens Bitcoin’s permissionless design, while supporters view it as a tool to curb spam and preserve network efficiency. Mining pool Foundry has opened an internal vote that could affect the outcome, but overall miner and node support is minimal.

The debate highlights a split within the Bitcoin community over how to handle non‑payment data on the blockchain and whether protocol‑level censorship is acceptable.