Bitcoin split into two chains overnight, but a silent miner boycott just halted the enforcing BIP-110 chain

BIP-110, a proposed temporary soft fork restricting some uses of arbitrary data in Bitcoin transactions, entered its mandatory-signaling window with miners producing 59 consecutive non-signaling blocks. Nodes enforcing the proposal were left on a two-block branch, 57 blocks behind Bitcoin’s dominant proof-of-work chain.As of 6:34 a.m. UTC on Aug. 9, direct explorer data put the dominant chain at block 961,690, while the BIP-110 enforcing branch remained at 961,633. Its latest block was roughly eight hours and 45 minutes old.BIP-110 mandatory signaling windowThe proposal sets temporary consensus limits on several methods of placing arbitrary data in Bitcoin transactions. Its deployment uses a 55% threshold, or 1,109 of 2,016 blocks, and requires signaling from heights 961,632 through 963,647 for nodes that enforce the proposal.Under the BIP-110 state machine, a compliant enforcing chain that reaches height 963,648 enters LOCKED_IN. The proposed restrictions become ACTIVE only if that chain later reaches height 965,664, one retarget period later. The current split therefore occurred during mandatory signaling; the transaction restrictions remain two stages away.Bitcoin’s miner output...