Bitcoin Knots is trying to fork Bitcoin again after its last chain died in two blocks

According to CryptoSlate, Bitcoin Knots is preparing a rehearsal for a BLAKE2b fork following the failure of its previous BIP-110 breakaway chain, which stalled after producing only two blocks. Developer Luke Dashjr instructed SHA-2 miners to stop mining ahead of a test that replaces Bitcoin's SHA-256d proof of work with BLAKE2b.

The new proposal aims to reduce dependence on existing Bitcoin miners by permanently moving the network to hardware using BLAKE2b proof of work, suggesting machines built to mine Sia can support the system. However, questions remain regarding whether enough hash rate, wallets, exchanges, and infrastructure will support the chain.

As of Aug. 29, the public release page had not shown the required build, and the proposal had not identified major exchanges or wallets committed to supporting the new chain. Additionally, participating nodes must settle consensus rules, including activation height, temporary block-weight limits, and replay protection.

While a successful BLAKE2b block would demonstrate that the fork can run, it remains uncertain whether miners and infrastructure providers will keep the new ledger economically viable.