Dangerous "airdrop": how BIP-110 could lead to the loss of real bitcoins
In the coming days, the Bitcoin network may face a serious test: the activation of the controversial proposal BIP-110 creates a favorable environment for a new attack on holders of the first cryptocurrency. This is not about hacking wallets, but a far more sophisticated scenario involving a blockchain split and subsequent "distribution" of tokens.
The key issue lies in the mechanics of a soft fork. When the chain splits, Bitcoin owners end up with a double balance: the same amount of assets is reflected in both versions of the network. It is this feature that attackers plan to exploit by buying coins of the new branch for real BTC at an early stage, when transactions are still valid in both systems.
The attack mechanics are simple and dangerous. By signing a transfer of fork tokens, the seller unknowingly provides the buyer with a ready-made template for an identical operation on the main network. As a result, an equivalent amount is debited from their address in real bitcoins, and fees are charged twice. Notably, the wallet is not zeroed out—exactly the volume declared for sale is lost. This makes the attack especially insidious: the victim may not immediately notice the disappearance.
Who is at risk and how to protect yourself
Large holders who want to quickly monetize "free" coins will likely be the first to come under attack. The only reliable strategy is to keep assets completely immobile until the situation stabilizes. To copy a transaction, the attacker needs a signed operation, and if there is none, there is simply nothing to replicate the attack with.
A historical precedent already exists: after the Bitcoin Cash split in 2017, developers had to build a special protection mechanism into the new network against transferring transactions between chains. The BIP-110 specification completely lacks such protection, which raises serious concerns among specialists.
The essence of the conflict and possible scenarios
The dispute over BIP-110 has been ongoing since the fall of 2025, when Bitcoin Core v30 developers raised the OP_RETURN field limit from 80 to 100,000 bytes. Critics considered that this would simplify clogging the blockchain with extraneous information and proposed a counter-initiative limiting the volume of non-payment data for a year.
Currently, only about 2.6% of blocks carry the BIP-110 flag, far from the required 1109 out of 2016 for standard activation. However, the authors provided a backup scenario: starting from block #961,632, expected on August 8, nodes with BIP-110 will begin rejecting blocks without the required flag. Since almost the entire hash rate does not set it, these nodes will stop following the main chain.
It is important to understand: this alone will not create a new blockchain. A split requires miners willing to mine blocks according to the proposal's rules. If none are found, the alternative chain will not emerge. The BIP-110 restrictions on non-payment data will take effect later—from block #965,664, expected in early September. Until then, both networks will be able to accept the same operations, which creates the vulnerability window.
My analysis: The situation resembles a classic dilemma between security and decentralization. The rush to activate BIP-110 without proper protection against replay attacks is a gross mistake that could cost careless users dearly. I recommend that all BTC holders refrain from any transactions in the coming weeks, especially if you plan to interact with "fork tokens." Better to wait out the uncertainty than to lose real funds in pursuit of free coins.