Michael Saylor has come out against BIP-110, a Bitcoin improvement proposal that would limit non-monetary data storage on the blockchain — including Ordinals. The MicroStrategy chairman's objection, made public this week, centers on the risk of protocol-level filtering and what he calls a slippery slope for Bitcoin's neutrality. The debate is the latest flashpoint in a broader fight over what Bitcoin should be: a system open to all valid transactions, or one focused purely on monetary use.
Saylor's neutrality argument
Saylor argues that BIP-110 would break Bitcoin's core principle of treating all transactions equally. By introducing a mechanism to filter out certain types of data — even data as controversial as Ordinals — the protocol would set a precedent for censorship. He warned that once you start picking and choosing what data is allowed, the door opens to more aggressive filtering down the line. The objection isn't about Ordinals themselves; it's about the principle of neutrality.
The 55% threshold
BIP-110 uses a 55% miner activation threshold, far lower than the traditional 95% supermajority required for most Bitcoin upgrades. Critics say that makes it easier to push through a change that could fundamentally alter the network's character. The lower bar is meant to speed up activation, but opponents argue it bypasses the kind of broad consensus that has historically protected Bitcoin from contentious forks. Saylor's camp sees the threshold as a red flag — a sign that the proposal's backers are willing to bend the rules to get it done.
Ordinals lit the fuse
The proposal didn't come out of nowhere. Ordinals, which let users inscribe data like images and text onto satoshis, have driven up block space demand and transaction fees since they launched. That congestion has annoyed some Bitcoin purists and miners alike, sparking calls for a technical fix. BIP-110 is one of several responses. But its approach — filtering at the protocol level rather than letting the market sort it out — has drawn sharp criticism from those who see it as a cure worse than the disease.
Activation is far from certain. Community support is split, and the proposal still needs miners to signal their intent. Even with the lower threshold, BIP-110 could stall if enough mining pools refuse to back it. Saylor's public opposition adds weight to the anti-BIP-110 side, but it doesn't settle the debate. The bigger question — whether Bitcoin should remain a permissionless data layer or tighten its focus — isn't going away. For now, the network keeps running, and the arguments keep coming.
