Bitcoin experienced a chain split on Saturday following the crossing of a BIP-110 signaling threshold, spawning a minority fork that quickly fell behind the main network. The BIP-110-aligned pool “Roughnecks” produced a second block on the offshoot at height 961633, while Bitcoin’s longest chain continued to advance, reaching height 961651.
Chain Split at Block 961632
At approximately 7:56 p.m. EDT, the network diverged at block height 961632. Roughnecks, signaling support for the BIP-110 ruleset, extended the minority fork with a block at 961633. However, the primary Bitcoin chain outpaced the offshoot within minutes, leaving the BIP-110-aligned chain significantly behind in cumulative work.
Background on BIP-110
BIP-110 has been a flashpoint in the community for roughly two years, with debate centering on proposed changes and the conditions for activation via miner signaling. Saturday’s split indicates a subset of miners and nodes attempted to enforce BIP-110’s rules, while the majority of hash power and nodes continued following the incumbent consensus rules, maintaining the longest chain.
Network Impact and Considerations
- Blocks built on the minority fork face a high risk of being orphaned if the main chain remains dominant.
- Reorganizations are possible if additional hash power temporarily shifts; however, as of the reported heights, the BIP-110-aligned chain was markedly behind.
- Infrastructure providers, including exchanges, mining pools, and wallet services, typically monitor such events closely and may adjust operational policies (such as confirmation requirements) during periods of chain instability.
What to Watch Next
Key indicators over the coming hours include hash rate migration toward or away from the BIP-110 ruleset, the relative speed of block production on each chain, node adoption metrics, and any public statements from major mining pools, exchanges, and client maintainers. Sustained dominance by the longest chain would likely consolidate the network on incumbent rules, while a material shift in support could prolong the fork or prompt further coordination efforts.
This is a developing situation. Further updates will depend on additional chain data and statements from ecosystem participants.