Adam Back Dismisses BIP-110 Activation Push as Foolish

Blockstream CEO Adam Back slammed the supporters of Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 110 (BIP-110) on July 22, 2026, calling their "flip the bit" activation plan an "idiocracy" on X. The proposal aims to limit non-financial data on Bitcoin's blockchain, but Back remains unconvinced.

BIP-110 requires majority miner signaling by early August 2026 to lock in. Back emphasized that if miners do not rally behind the change, Bitcoin's main chain will remain unaffected. This stance contradicts claims from proponents who argue that rejecting BIP-110 risks chain splits and damage to Lightning Network counterparties.

The "flip the bit" initiative, backed by firms like Start9, frames the activation as low-cost, estimating about 0.1% of a miner’s revenue over a year. They target Ordinals images and text embedded in Bitcoin transactions that critics say clutter the blockchain. Despite this, Back insists the proposal will simply expire without broad consensus, dismissing fears of disruption.

Technical Objections Hold Weight

Back highlighted that Bitcoin's consensus process resembles the IETF model, where only valid technical objections count. He argued that the protocol cannot entertain attempts to sabotage or block fixes, regardless of intent. This echoes his previous comments during debates over default OP_RETURN limits, which once restricted large data uploads.

MicroStrategy co-founder Michael Saylor shared similar concerns about preserving Bitcoin's protocol neutrality amid changes. Meanwhile, other developers frame the BIP-110 debate as part of a larger conversation about preventing spam on the blockchain.

So far, miner support for BIP-110 has been sparse. Major mining pools remain cautious, and exchanges and node operators watch the situation closely to avoid a contentious chain split. Back previously downplayed risks of a miner-driven fork, directing critics to his prior warnings on fork risks.

The mandatory signaling window opens in early August 2026, and whether this push fizzles out or escalates into a real fork will become clearer soon.