Crypto news

The BIP-110 branch, which split from the main Bitcoin chain, continues to rapidly lose connection with the mainnet. At this point, the gap has already exceeded 300 blocks — a critical indicator that clearly demonstrates how difficult it is for an alternative chain to keep pace without support from significant computational power.

The key problem of the fork lies in its inherited mining difficulty. Upon separation, the branch retained the main network's difficulty level at 127.48 trillion, which has become an unbearable burden for it. Bitcoin's difficulty adjustment mechanism only recalculates after a full period of 2016 blocks is completed — the fork is still 963,647 blocks short of that mark. Until this threshold is crossed, the network will not be able to adapt its difficulty to its actual capabilities.

Forecasts regarding the timeline for normalizing the situation vary across an extremely wide range — from 350 days to 25 years. Such a colossal difference is explained by uncertainty over the share of hash rate the fork will be able to attract. Currently, this branch accounts for only fractions of a percent of the total computational power of the first cryptocurrency's blockchain, making it practically impossible to independently achieve target indicators.

Analytical assessment of the situation

From my professional perspective, the current state of BIP-110 is a classic example of how economic incentives determine the viability of any fork. Without sufficient hash rate, the network is doomed to stagnation, and miners are unlikely to invest resources in a chain that cannot generate competitive returns. The most likely scenario is a gradual decline in activity and a shift to other projects. However, if strategic investors stand behind the fork and are willing to make long-term commitments, the situation could change dramatically after the first difficulty recalculation. The only question is whether the team will have enough patience and resources until that moment.