Several monitoring sites, including forkwatch.tv and the fork.observer web portal, detected a chain split at block 961632 shortly after 4:00 PM Eastern Time (EDT). Mempool.space developer Mononaut wrote:
"WE HAVE A BIP-110 BLOCK. The race is on! Although literally the rest of the network is still mining on top of the non-signaling chain. Block templates are vastly different due to policy differences and the 40-minute gap between these blocks."
Difficulty Sharply Rises Amid Clashing Chains
The split occurred precisely as the Bitcoin network underwent a difficulty adjustment: mining difficulty increased by 0.99% at block 961632.
Data from Mempool.space shows that block 961632 was mined by Antpool, while the mempool.kilombino.com clone run by BIP-110 proponents shows Roughnecks mining a competing version of the same block.
The fork.observer dashboard shows Roughnecks connected to Ocean Pool. Since then, the main Bitcoin chain has continued: blocks 961633 and 961634 were subsequently mined by F2pool and Simple Mining. On social media, BIP-110 proponents LukeDashjr and Bitcoin Mechanic were not too pleased that Antpool won the race for block 961632.
"Looks like Antpool is attacking Bitcoin. Hold on tight, guys," LukeDashjr wrote on X, while Bitcoin Mechanic stated:
"Antpool Official, you just mined an invalid block. Hope you're okay!"
Dawn Om, the creator of BIP-110, congratulated Roughnecks on mining the first BIP-110 compliant block. "Congratulations to Roughnecks for mining the first block during the mandatory signaling period! Game theory now takes effect. BIP-110 activates," wrote Dawn Om.
BIP-110 Chain Stalls Amid Looming 'Nuclear Option'
As of 4:35 PM Eastern Time (EDT), the BIP-110 branch remains stuck at block 961632, and given the limited hash rate supporting it, finding the next block could take significantly longer. Ultimately, it could take several days depending on the hash rate allocated to the fork and the difficulty it now faces. Unless, of course, chain supporters decide to press the 'nuclear button'. The situation continues to develop.
Featured Image: forkwatch.tv
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