Adam Back Questions BIP-110: Bitcoin's Dilemma Between Security and Innovation

The Bitcoin world faces a technological crossroads that divides its most influential leaders. Adam Back, a prominent figure in cryptography and founder of Blockstream, expresses deep concern over the BIP-110 proposal, which aims to limit “unnecessary” data on the network. The core issue is not just technical—it’s ideological.

The Split Between Bitcoin Core and Bitcoin Knots Reveals a Power Shift

The Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP-110), introduced in December by Dathon Ohm, gained significant support among nodes running Bitcoin Knots, with approximately 7.5% of the network signaling readiness for implementation. This support represents a remarkable paradigm shift: Bitcoin Core’s share dropped from 98% to 77.2%, while Bitcoin Knots rose to 22.7% since October 2025.

The trigger for this reconfiguration was Bitcoin Core’s decision to remove the 80-byte limit for the OP_RETURN function. This change opened the doors for transactions that go beyond traditional settlement, allowing images, videos, and other data to pass through the blockchain. Adam Back opposed this openness, arguing that activities similar to spam should not occupy space on a “time chain.”

Arbitrary Data Versus Network Integrity: A Matter of Principle

For Adam Back, BIP-110 does not represent a solution but an “attack” on Bitcoin’s credibility as a monetary network. In his view, the inclusion of non-essential data is merely an “inconvenience,” not an existential threat to security. The change in consensus level, from his perspective, lacks a solid justification.

BIP-110 was conceived as a temporary measure. The idea was to evaluate, over 12 months, the impact of containing arbitrary data while developers work on more lasting solutions. However, Adam Back warned of a specific risk: the proposal could potentially freeze funds by making certain transaction outputs (UTXOs) unspendable. Dathon Ohm acknowledged this vulnerability but insisted that the proposal’s design aims to preserve all known use cases.

Ordinals and Runes: The Recipe Bitcoin Cannot Ignore

Proponents of non-financial transactions present an irrefutable economic counterargument. Leonidas, leader of the Ordinals ecosystem, points out that these protocols have generated over $500 million in fees for miners, reinforcing network security amid declining mining subsidies.

However, data from Dune Analytics describe a different scenario at the end of 2025. Ordinal inscriptions generated less than $10,000 daily for miners—a sharp decline from the December 2023 peak, when they collected nearly $10 million in fees in a single day (December 16, 2023). Since then, ordinal activity has been on a downward trajectory, punctuated only by occasional peaks.

This contrast between narrative and actual data fuels the controversy Adam Back embodies: if Ordinals and Runes no longer generate substantial revenue, what is the true value of prioritizing their presence over the technical integrity of Bitcoin?

The Future Is Uncertain, but the Dispute Continues

The emergence of Bitcoin Knots as a viable alternative to Bitcoin Core has reshaped the network’s political landscape. Adam Back and his allies at Blockstream can no longer impose their vision through mere numerical weight—they must persuade through argument. The BIP-110 proposal will continue to be debated, possibly gaining or losing momentum as new data emerges about the real impact of non-financial data on the blockchain.