XRP Ledger Architect David Schwartz Criticizes Bitcoin Knots as BIP-110 Fallout Deepens
XRP Ledger architect and former Ripple CTO David Schwartz publicly criticized Bitcoin Knots on August 11 after the project claimed that the Bitcoin network was “under attack” and warned users against switching software versions.
The controversy stems from the failed BIP-110 activation attempt, which created a minority chain split when mandatory signaling began at block 961,632. The alternative branch managed to produce only two blocks before stalling, while Bitcoin’s main chain continued operating normally. As a result, the official Bitcoin Improvement Proposal repository has now marked BIP-110 as “Closed.”
According to OCEAN’s BIP-110 monitoring dashboard, the branch remains frozen at block 961,633, nearly 59 hours after the last block was mined. Although some mining power continues to be directed toward the chain, it has not generated any additional blocks.
Schwartz challenged Bitcoin Knots’ characterization of the situation, questioning whether describing the network as being “under attack” was intended to mislead people unfamiliar with the technical details. His comments focused on the language used rather than the broader debate surrounding BIP-110 itself.
Bitcoin Knots has maintained that users should not downgrade or switch software, arguing that doing so could expose them to confirmations from blocks that its software considers invalid. The project has also suggested that the stalled branch may move forward by adopting a new proof-of-work algorithm, with the selection process expected to take place through a deterministic random method.
If implemented, a proof-of-work change would represent a major shift away from Bitcoin’s existing SHA-256 mining system and could effectively create a separate network rather than continuing as a minority Bitcoin branch.
The dispute has also led to governance changes within Bitcoin’s development process. On August 10, developers removed Luke Dashjr from the list of Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP) editors after concerns were raised regarding his involvement in BIP-110 and the use of editorial privileges. Dashjr strongly disagreed with the decision and described it as an abuse of authority.
The key issue now is whether Bitcoin Knots proceeds with a new proof-of-work system. Until such a change is selected and implemented, the BIP-110 chain remains stalled, while the proposal itself is officially closed and no longer part of Bitcoin’s active development roadmap.
