Tag: BIP-110

  • DOG Mode Proposal Seeks to Loosen Bitcoin Relay Rules as BIP 110 Fails to Gain Traction

    DOG Mode Proposal Seeks to Loosen Bitcoin Relay Rules as BIP 110 Fails to Gain Traction

    A new Bitcoin client proposal has emerged just days after BIP 110 failed to attract meaningful miner support for restricting non-financial data on the network. On Friday, Runestone co-founder Leonidas announced DOG Mode, an open-source Bitcoin client that would loosen Bitcoin Core’s relay policies without requiring a consensus vote.

    Unlike BIP 110, which seeks a consensus change through a user-activated soft fork, DOG Mode would simply alter how participating nodes relay transactions. The proposal introduces larger transaction relay limits and a lower dust threshold while leaving Bitcoin’s consensus rules unchanged.

    DOG Mode Targets Bitcoin Core Relay Policies

    Leonidas said DOG Mode would remove two restrictions currently enforced by Bitcoin Core. One limits the maximum standard transaction size that nodes relay. The other defines the minimum Bitcoin value an output must contain before nodes forward it.

    Bitcoin’s consensus rules determine whether a block remains valid across the network. By contrast, relay policy only controls which transactions an individual node shares with neighboring nodes. Therefore, transactions rejected under relay policy can remain valid under Bitcoin’s consensus rules.

    Since most Bitcoin nodes run Bitcoin Core, its default relay settings effectively shape network behavior. Nevertheless, miners can still include non-standard transactions if they receive them directly. Services such as MARA’s Slipstream already help users submit those transactions to miners.

    DOG Mode would increase the maximum standard transaction size from 400,000 weight units to 3,900,000 weight units. Since a Bitcoin block holds four million weight units, the proposed limit would allow nodes to relay transactions occupying almost an entire block.

    Meanwhile, the proposal would lower the dust limit from 294-546 satoshis to just one satoshi. As a result, smaller transaction outputs could move through participating nodes without meeting today’s higher threshold.

    Proposal Could Affect Ordinals and Runes

    Ordinals store images and text inside Bitcoin transactions. Likewise, Runes allows users to issue tradable tokens on the Bitcoin network. Both systems currently add extra Bitcoin to outputs so they satisfy Bitcoin Core’s dust requirement.

    Leonidas said removing the dust limit would free about $25 million currently locked as padding within those ecosystems. According to his statement, those funds could return to the related markets if the lower threshold gains adoption.

    Even so, DOG Mode does not require approval from miners or a formal activation process. Instead, any node operator can choose to run the software. If enough nodes adopt it and a miner accepts the transactions, they can enter confirmed blocks.

    BIP 110 Faces a Different Path

    BIP 110 follows a different approach by seeking to restrict arbitrary data through a user-activated soft fork. The proposal requires support from 55% of miners before activation. Current tracking data shows BIP 110 has received no miner support during the ongoing signaling period. Furthermore, it has never exceeded roughly 1% support during previous periods, according to the BIP 110 monitor.

    Support for BIP 110 mainly comes through Bitcoin Knots, an alternative Bitcoin client favored by developers who support stricter data controls. In contrast, Leonidas described DOG Mode as a Core fork that would diverge less from Bitcoin Core than Knots.

    DOG Mode currently exists only as an announced initiative. Leonidas invited developers to build the first release, encouraged miners to support it, and asked users to promote the project. As of Friday, no public code repository, software version, or benchmark existed.

    Runes creator Casey Rodarmor developed the protocol, while Leonidas helped promote it and co-founded Runestone, the project behind the DOG token. DOG traded little changed following Friday’s announcement and fell 1.2% over the previous 24 hours.

    What’s Next?

    DOG Mode proposes broader Bitcoin relay rules without requiring miner approval or a consensus vote, while BIP 110 continues to seek support for stricter data limits through a soft fork. The proposals present different approaches to Bitcoin transaction relay policies as developers and node operators monitor future adoption.

  • BIP-110 Faces Uphill Battle as Bitcoin Miner Support Stays Weak

    BIP-110 Faces Uphill Battle as Bitcoin Miner Support Stays Weak

    Bitcoin’s proposed BIP-110 soft fork continues to face limited miner support ahead of a key activation period, despite renewed debate over restricting non-financial data on the blockchain. The proposal would temporarily limit data storage methods linked to Ordinals and BRC-20 tokens for one year while exempting older transaction outputs.

    Miner signaling remains far below the required threshold, and several prominent Bitcoin figures have publicly opposed the plan. Meanwhile, Bitcoin traded near $63,800 on Monday as broader financial markets reacted to fresh geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

    Proposal Targets Non-Financial Blockchain Data

    Developer Dathon Ohm introduced BIP-110, known as the Reduced Data Temporary Soft Fork, in December 2025. The proposal would impose temporary restrictions on non-financial data stored in Bitcoin transactions. Specifically, it would cap OP_RETURN fields at 83 bytes, limit data pushes to 256 bytes, and restrict most new outputs to 34 bytes. However, transaction inputs spending coins created before activation would remain permanently exempt.

    The proposed limits would automatically expire about one year after activation. Supporters argue the measures would reduce blockchain growth and return Bitcoin’s primary focus to payments. In contrast, critics argue the proposal would reject valid fee-paying transactions while favoring certain transaction types.

    Michael Saylor, Executive Chairman of Strategy, stated on July 12, 2026, that BIP-110 would transform a spam dispute into a consensus rule change that invalidates some currently valid, fee-paying transactions.

    Miner Support Remains Below Activation Threshold

    So far, miner backing has remained minimal. Signaling has never exceeded roughly 1% during any measurement period and currently stands at zero, with no major mining pool supporting the proposal. One monitoring service recorded only 38 signaling blocks from more than 9,000 mined since May 1, 2026. That represents approximately 0.42% support. Node adoption also remains in the low single digits.

    Miners signal support by setting a specific bit within the block version field. Even so, almost no miners have activated that signal.

    BIP-110 uses a modified activation process requiring support from 55% of miners, or 1,109 of 2,016 blocks during a difficulty adjustment period. That requirement sits below the traditional 95% threshold used for previous Bitcoin soft forks.

    The current signaling period is expected to reach a mandatory window near block 961,632, which projections place in early August. If the proposal locks in, activation would occur near block 965,664 around September 1, 2026. Current support levels indicate the proposal would create only a small minority chain instead of a network-wide upgrade.

    Market Holds Steady as Global Assets React

    Several well-known Bitcoin figures have opposed BIP-110 before the upcoming deadline. Besides Michael Saylor, Blockstream Chief Executive Adam Back rejected the proposal, while developer Jameson Lopp criticized its activation parameters.

    They warned that a disputed fork could split the Bitcoin blockchain and require exchanges and node operators to prepare for two separate networks. Meanwhile, Bitcoin traded near $63,800 on Monday. The cryptocurrency fell 0.3% over the previous 24 hours but remained 2% higher for the week.

    At the same time, traditional markets reacted to the fourth round of U.S. strikes on Iran within one week. Spot gold dropped as much as 1.6% to around $4,050 per ounce, while Brent crude climbed 4% above $79 per barrel amid uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. Additionally, Treasury prices declined across the yield curve, pushing the two-year yield to its highest level since February 2025. MSCI’s Asia Pacific equities index also fell 1.6%.

    U.S. Central Command said American forces struck Iran after an attack on a container ship. Conflicting statements about the Strait of Hormuz kept uncertainty elevated since roughly one-fifth of global seaborne oil normally passes through the waterway.

    Markets reflected concerns that prolonged conflict could keep oil prices elevated and encourage the Federal Reserve to maintain higher interest rates for longer. Minutes from the Fed’s June meeting also showed that several policymakers previously considered raising rates before choosing to hold them steady.

    What’s Next?

    BIP-110 continues to face minimal miner support despite proposing temporary limits on non-financial Bitcoin transaction data. Prominent Bitcoin figures have opposed the plan, while activation remains unlikely under current signaling levels. Meanwhile, Bitcoin held relatively steady as global markets reacted to rising geopolitical tensions.

  • Bitcoin BIP-110 Hits August Deadline with Zero Miner Support – What It Means

    Bitcoin BIP-110 Hits August Deadline with Zero Miner Support – What It Means

    Bitcoin’s BIP-110 proposal is approaching its early August deadline with virtually no support from miners or node operators. The plan, known as the Reduced Data Temporary Soft Fork, aims to restrict non-financial data storage on the Bitcoin blockchain for one year.

    BIP-110 Aims to Curb Blockchain Data Bloat

    The proposal would tighten limits on data stored via OP_RETURN transactions, reject arbitrary data pushes larger than 256 bytes, and restrict script formats primarily used for data storage. Supporters argue it would reduce blockchain bloat and keep block space focused on financial transactions. However, the rule would invalidate some transactions that are currently valid, such as those related to Ordinals and inscriptions.

    BIP-110 uses a user-activated soft fork mechanism, requiring only 55% miner signaling—far below the typical 95% threshold. Despite this lower bar, miner support has never exceeded 1% and currently stands at 0%. No major mining pool has endorsed the plan. Node adoption also remains in the low single digits, mostly limited to users of Bitcoin Knots rather than Bitcoin Core.

    Key Figures Speak Out

    Strategy founder Michael Saylor opposed the proposal, calling it a dangerous precedent that would turn a dispute over data storage into a consensus change. Blockstream co-founder Adam Back also rejected it, stating that the wider Bitcoin network would not join a fork implementing these restrictions. Both warned that weak support could lead to a minority chain split.

    The signaling period covers blocks 957,600 to 959,615, with a voluntary lock-in deadline around block 961,542 (early August). If activated, participating nodes would reject blocks that fail to signal support, potentially creating a separate chain with different transaction rules.

    For now, BIP-110 appears unlikely to affect the main Bitcoin network, but the debate highlights ongoing tensions over blockchain data use and governance.