Bitcoin Developers Prepare for Worst-Case Scenario with Proof-of-Work Rebase
Bitcoin developers are preparing for a worst-case scenario as miner signaling on BIP-110, a proposed protocol change, has been weak. To address this possibility, developer Chris Guida has rebased Luke Dashjr's 2017 proof-of-work hard fork code onto the current version of Bitcoin Knots.
The rebase is designed to render existing mining hardware incompatible with the new chain if miners refuse to comply with the protocol change. The proof-of-work algorithm change would effectively strip miners of their accumulated investment in specialized equipment, making it a drastic measure.
BIP-110 aims to temporarily restrict arbitrary, non-financial data embedded in Bitcoin transactions for one year. To activate the soft fork, miner signaling needs to be above 55% across a window of 2,016 blocks, roughly two weeks of Bitcoin block production.
Guida completed the rebase as of early August 2026, and it has attracted attention from node operators who believe they should have the final word on the network's direction. Dashjr himself expressed hope that the contingency would never need to be deployed, but acknowledged preparation was necessary.