Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 110 is still barreling toward its activation date even though only a sliver of miners have signaled support. The proposal's user-activated design means it doesn't need the mining community's blessing to move forward, and it's on track to keep going past that date.
Thin Miner Support
BIP-110 has attracted barely any miner backing. The exact numbers aren't public, but the support is described as a sliver — a fraction of the hash power that typically decides protocol changes. In most Bitcoin upgrades, miner approval is the gatekeeper. Not here.
That gap between miner sentiment and the proposal's trajectory is the story. Miners who oppose it have no obvious lever to pull, because the activation mechanism doesn't rely on them. The proposal keeps its schedule regardless.
User-Activated Design
The user-activated part is what changes the math. Instead of waiting for miners to signal readiness, this design lets users enforce the new rules themselves. Nodes running BIP-110 software will reject blocks that don't comply, starting on the activation date. Miners can either adapt or watch their blocks get orphaned.
That's not a new idea in Bitcoin circles, but it's rarely been tested at this scale. BIP-110 is now the test case. The proposal doesn't need a majority of miners to flip a switch — it needs enough users to run the updated software and hold the line.
The Path Forward
The activation date is set, and the proposal will cross it with or without miner support. Beyond that date, the real work begins. If enough users enforce the new rules, the network splits or miners fall in line. If user participation fades, the proposal could stall in practice even as it stays on paper.
Either way, BIP-110 won't quietly disappear after activation. It's designed to keep moving, and the next phase will hinge on how many users actually run the code. The coming weeks will show whether the sliver of miner support matters at all.
