Key Takeaways:
BIP-110 targets block 961,632 for mandatory signaling in August 2026.Paul Sztorc’s eCash fork is aimed at block 964,000 with a 1:1 airdrop. Bitcoin miners face BIP-110 signaling pressure before the eCash fork target.That design forms the first hard pressure point. It does not simply invite miners to signal. It creates a period in which non-signaling can carry a direct economic cost for miners whose blocks are rejected by the portion of the network enforcing the rule set. The proposal uses version bit 4 and allows early activation if 55% of miners signal within a retarget period, equal to 1,109 of 2,016 blocks.
What BIP-110 Would RestrictBIP-110’s temporary rules would narrow several transaction behaviors for roughly 52,416 blocks, or about one year. Outputs with a ScriptPubKey greater than 34 bytes would become invalid, except for OP_RETURN, which would be capped at 83 bytes. Large data pushes and witness items would be capped at 256 bytes, while several Taproot-related features would face temporary restrictions.
Supporters See Discipline, Critics See Split RiskThe timing is what turns these two separate events into a dual pressure point. BIP-110’s mandatory signaling window begins at block 961,632 and is designed to guarantee lock-in by block 963,648. The eCash fork is targeted near block 964,000, only a few hundred blocks later. In block-time terms, the two disputes are stacked into the same narrow period.
Miners Face Revenue, Signaling, and Hashpower Choices Exchanges and Custodians Become the Operational Front LineThat operational layer matters because a protocol dispute becomes more than a technical debate once deposits, withdrawals, accounting treatment and user balances are involved. A tight period of stress can magnify small delays, unclear policies or conflicting chain signals.
The Market Reads Timing as Risk What to Watch Next
