Bitcoin BIP110 signaling edges up to 2.64% ahead of Aug. 9 mandatory window

Bitcoin is less than two weeks away from the mandatory signaling window for the proposed BIP110 soft fork, and the dynamics look slightly different than the headline number implies. Miner support is still low at about 2.64%, but it has improved from struggling to stay above 1% several weeks ago. The gradual climb suggests the proposal is gaining some traction, though not at a level that signals major mining pools are preparing to flip. Key points: - Foundry will not signal "Yes" unless customer votes cross a 51% hashrate-weighted threshold. - As of 8:40 a.m. EDT on July 27, 2026, BIP110 signaling is near 2.64% as block 961,632 approaches around Aug. 9, 2026. - Signaling is being led by Ocean and smaller miners; Antpool, ViaBTC, and other major pools have not shifted. As of 8:40 a.m. Eastern on July 27, the chain tip was at block 959,842, leaving roughly 1,790 blocks until 961,632. At that height, nodes running BIP110 software begin rejecting blocks that fail to signal version bit 4. At Bitcoin's average 10-minute block cadence, the network should reach that point on or around Aug. 9, 2026. BIP110, formally titled the Reduced Data Temporary Softfork, would cap the size of certain data fields in Bitcoin transactions. The changes are aimed primarily at Ordinals-style inscriptions, oversized OP_RETURN payloads, and similar data-heavy activity, while leaving typical payments, key-path Taproot spends, and standard Lightning channel operations unchanged. If BIP110 activates, the restrictions begin at block 965,664 and automatically expire after 52,416 blocks (roughly one year). Support is rising, but the composition matters Signaling has increased notably over the past month. After periods below 1%, it has moved into the 3% range. In relative terms that's meaningful, but activation momentum hinges on which miners are signaling, not just the raw share of blocks. Ocean continues to represent most of the signaling activity, with the remainder spread across independent miners and smaller operators. Miners currently signaling include Roughnecks, SoV, BIP110 Generic, Barefoot Mining, 234 Alberta, 888, Peer to Peer Money, Black Jade Advisors, Sazmining, Crestmont Fabrics, Datum Miner, SpammersGFY, Moonwalk, PyBLOCKDatum, Just For Krypto, and JAMIN. By contrast, Foundry, Antpool, ViaBTC, and F2Pool—the four pools responsible for much of the network's hashrate—have shown little movement. Without a shift from at least one of these major operators, incremental gains from smaller miners are unlikely to materially alter the activation outlook. Node software distribution shows a similar split. The only implementation that enforces BIP110 is a Bitcoin Knots fork, and reachable nodes running that software are around 22% today, leaving enforcement concentrated among a smaller share of the network compared with Bitcoin Core. Foundry's hashrate-weighted client vote Among major pools, Foundry has adopted a distinctive approach. Around July 17, 2026, it asked customers to vote on whether the pool should begin signaling BIP110, tying voting power to each customer's average hashrate. Foundry told participants that the voting window would remain open through the signaling window close date, ahead of block 961,632. Clients who do not respond are counted as "No," and Foundry's default remains to signal against the proposal. Only if "Yes" votes exceed 51% of participating weighted hashrate will Foundry switch all blocks to signaling support. The decision is significant because Foundry represents roughly 23% to 33% of Bitcoin's global hashrate, depending on the measurement period. A sudden change by a pool of that size would immediately reshape signaling charts, but there has been no indication so far that such a shift has occurred. Foundry also has not endorsed either side publicly. Its client resource page links to the BIP specification, the original bitcoindev discussion, criticism from Jameson Lopp, and commentary from Adam Back, Michael Saylor, Luke Dashjr, and others. What the mandatory window could trigger Once block 961,632 arrives, the mechanics become far more consequential. If signaling remains near current levels, nodes enforcing BIP110 will reject blocks mined by most of the network for failing to signal version bit 4, and will instead follow the relatively small set of signaling blocks. Legacy nodes will continue to accept both signaling and non-signaling blocks and follow the chain with the most accumulated proof-of-work, consistent with Bitcoin's normal behavior. Independent monitoring sites are tracking the activation parameters, with some simulating outcomes under different hashrate assumptions. The BIP110 Situation Monitor, for example, models scenarios for the mandatory signaling window. In one illustrated case with 25% hashrate dedicated to BIP110, the simulation shows a chain split. That would not imply two equally healthy networks: the Bitcoin Core-recognized chain mined by the vast majority of hashrate would keep producing blocks normally, while a minority signaling-only chain would advance much more slowly until the next 2,016-block difficulty adjustment. That risk profile is a key reason the debate has increasingly focused on activation mechanics rather than inscriptions alone. A deployment path unlike recent soft forks BIP110 uses a modified BIP9 process that differs from the last two major soft forks. Launched on Dec. 1, 2025, it could lock in early with 1,109 of 2,016 blocks (55%) signaling within a single difficulty period. If that threshold is never reached, the proposal moves toward a forced lock-in at block 963,648, then activates one difficulty period later at block 965,664. Between those milestones sits the mandatory signaling window. From block 961,632 through 963,647, nodes enforcing BIP110 reject every block that does not signal version bit 4, regardless of how much proof-of-work is behind it. That differs from SegWit and Taproot, where non-upgraded nodes continued to accept the strongest proof-of-work chain during activation. The closest historical parallel is the 2017 BIP148 user-activated soft fork (UASF), which also sought to pressure miners through mandatory signaling. That episode ended without a lasting chain split after enough hashrate shifted ahead of the deadline, effectively turning the UASF into leverage rather than a prolonged fork. Why supporters want BIP110 BIP110 was authored under the name Dathon Ohm. Earlier versions circulated under the BIP444 designation before being accepted into the BIPs repository. Supporters argue that inscriptions, BRC-20-style tokens, and growing OP_RETURN payloads increase the cost of running a full node, distort Bitcoin's fee market, and redirect network resources away from Bitcoin's role as a payment and settlement system. Luke Dashjr, a BIP110 supporter and Bitcoin Knots developer, wrote on X in early July: "Removing rules is a hardfork. That includes scheduled rules like subsidy halvings, and yes, even BIP110. Rejecting BIP110 is a contentious hardfork attempt." He added: "And unlike softforks, hardforks need consensus to succeed. There is no consensus on rejecting BIP110." Opponents generally agree spam exists but argue BIP110's activation approach is too risky relative to the problem. Alex Thorn, Galaxy Digital's head of research, wrote on X: "OP_RETURN blockspace usage hasn't increased much since Bitcoin Core v30 was released. Oversized OP_RETURNs may be up slightly, but still they consume less than 0.1% of blockspace." Thorn added: "BIP110 is an extremely disruptive & dangerous response given the tiny impact from these prunable [transactions]." What to watch over the next two weeks The countdown to Aug. 9 is likely to hinge on three developments: whether a top mining pool begins signaling; whether major exchanges clarify which chain they would recognize if competing chains emerge after block 961,632; and how miners behave once the mandatory window actually opens, since pre-deadline signaling only captures part of the picture. Support has trended upward from below 1% to roughly 3% as the deadline nears, but it remains far from broad miner backing. Unless one of Bitcoin's largest pools changes position in the coming days, the mandatory signaling window looks set to open with support concentrated among a relatively small portion of the network.