Bitcoin Knots to pick new mining algorithm as BIP-110 fork stalls
Regulation & Gov ·
The minority chain built around BIP-110 has produced just two blocks with about 2.5% miner backing, prompting Knots to plan a fresh proof-of-work algorithm.
Bitcoin Knots said it will select a new proof-of-work algorithm for the struggling BIP-110 branch after the fork managed to add only two blocks since splitting off, according to CryptoPotato. The split occurred at block 961,632, and the resulting branch has drawn roughly 2.5% support from miners, while the primary Bitcoin chain has kept producing blocks without interruption.
Knots cautioned users against downgrading their software or moving to clients that weaken Bitcoin's consensus rules, warning that such a move could leave them exposed to false confirmations built on invalid blocks. Anyone who had already made the switch was advised to update to the newest Knots release, which the project said would try to automatically fix the chain state, and miners restarting nodes were told to insert a specific configuration line to their setup. The new algorithm was slated to be chosen through a randomized, deterministic process among submitted candidates, with a hash shared publicly as a fairness check on that selection.
The stall has surfaced a deeper rift over what actually counts as valid Bitcoin consensus. One camp argues the BIP-110 fork never reached meaningful backing and was effectively bypassed by the market and everyday users. The opposing camp contends the fork does reflect community will and that changing the mining algorithm could sideline miners it blames for undermining the branch, with one prominent voice insisting there is only one Bitcoin chain and that it has already adopted BIP-110.
Mining behavior around the fork has been inconsistent. A pool that had been mining the BIP-110 branch briefly halted operations, framing the pause as a tactical escalation, only to resume shortly after on the stalled chain tip. Questions were raised about the economic logic of continuing, since block rewards require 100 confirmations to mature and the branch has been producing at most one block per day; the pool acknowledged participants might see no return whatsoever.
By the time mining resumed, the main chain had pulled significantly ahead in block height, while the BIP-110 branch remained stuck near its split point. Bitcoin's market price showed little reaction to the dispute. What remains unresolved is which proof-of-work algorithm Knots will ultimately adopt, whether the fork can attract enough hashpower to sustain block production, and whether the disagreement over BIP-110's legitimacy will be settled through further protocol changes or simply fade as the minority chain loses relevance.