A new controversy is shaking the Bitcoin ecosystem. The BIP-110 proposal, intended to limit certain data recorded on the blockchain, provokes an open confrontation between developers and historical figures of the network. Designed to slow down the growth of inscriptions linked to Ordinals and Runes, this modification of the protocol triggers strong criticism. Among them, that of Adam Back, pioneer of the cypherpunk movement, who denounces a real “regression” for Bitcoin. Behind this technical debate lies a central question: how far can bitcoin evolve without betraying its fundamental principles?
In brief
- The BIP-110 proposal revives tensions in the Bitcoin community, by seeking to limit certain data recorded on the blockchain, in particular those related to Ordinals and Runes.
- Adam Back strongly criticizes this evolution of the protocol, which he considers to be a technical regression likely to disrupt the software ecosystem built around Bitcoin.
- Several technical risks are mentioned, including the potential freezing of certain UTXOs, the break with Miniscript or even the deactivation of certain functions of the Bitcoin scripting language.
- This controversy illustrates the growing divisions over the evolution of Bitcoin, between the desire to limit certain uses and the defense of the neutrality of the protocol.
BIP-110: a proposal to limit certain data on bitcoin
The BIP-110 proposal, submitted in December 2025 by Dathon Ohm, a developer, aims to reduce the presence of arbitrary data recorded in the Bitcoin blockchain. The initiative targets in particular certain uses made possible by the Ordinals and Runes protocols, which allow different types of content to be integrated directly into transactions. To achieve this, the text provides for the introduction of a temporary soft fork lasting twelve months, designed to filter certain transactions directly at the consensus level.
This proposal quickly sparked critical reactions in the Bitcoin community. Adam Back, CEO of Blockstream and a historical figure cited in Satoshi Nakamoto's white paper, expressed his opposition in particularly harsh terms.
On the social network “BIP-110 constitutes a real deliberate regression. It breaks user space. This proposal freezes UTXOs, breaks Miniscript, disables OP_IF, and removes mechanisms allowing protocol updates. And a temporary soft fork is completely absurd”.
In his analysis, several major technical problems could appear:
- The potential freezing of certain existing UTXOs, rendering certain funds unusable;
- The risk of disruption with Miniscript, a tool used to create more secure Bitcoin scripts;
- Disabling the OP_IF instruction, a key part of the Bitcoin scripting language;
- The removal of certain protocol evolution mechanisms, which would limit future updates.
According to Adam Back, these changes would not constitute a simple technical modification, but a real regression of the protocol, likely to disrupt the software ecosystem built around bitcoin.
Growing opposition around technical and governance risks
Beyond Adam Back's criticism, several influential figures in the Bitcoin ecosystem have expressed their opposition to the BIP-110. Developers and historical players like Jameson Lopp and Wang Chun have also warned of the technical consequences of this proposal. Critics cite in particular the risk that certain existing UTXOs become unusable, which could lead to certain funds being frozen or certain transactions becoming impossible.
The proposal also raises concerns about the governance of the protocol. The envisaged mechanism provides for activation with 55% support, while Bitcoin soft forks traditionally require a much broader consensus, close to 95%. This difference fuels fears of a divide within the community, with some observers believing that this threshold could cause a division of the network if a significant portion of participants refuse to adopt the modification.
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