Bitcoin mining pool OCEAN faces an escalating crisis after a controversial admission.The pool redirected some users’ hashrate to the failed BIP-110 minority chain without clear consent.
The incident lasted roughly 18 hours. During that time, affected miners believed they were using non-BIP-110 Stratum templates. Instead, their hardware mined blocks on a separate fork.
Bitcoin Hashrate Crisis at OCEAN
The controversy follows weeks of debate over BIP-110, a proposed Bitcoin protocol change targeting certain types of non-monetary data. BeInCrypto previously reported on the proposal’s disputed activation process and the security concerns surrounding the Coldcard incident in its BIP-110 activation update.
OCEAN acknowledged that some miners using its Stratum templates may have been directed to the BIP-110 chain despite selecting the non-BIP-110 option. This incident is particularly damaging given that OCEAN explicitly brands itself on returning full block-template control to individual miners.
The disclosure triggered immediate backlash across the Bitcoin mining community, with an X user describing the incident as a hashrate “hijack” and calling for the immediate removal of those responsible.
Blockstream CEO Adam Back sharply criticized the incident, describing the move as unacceptable and demanding that the resulting financial losses be deducted directly from OCEAN co-founder Luke Dashjr’s salary.
The controversy intensified after Roughnecks, the mining group behind the BIP-110 chain’s only two blocks, abandoned the effort on August 9. The group also urged remaining miners to stop supporting the minority chain.
Critics argue that mining pools should never redirect user computing power toward a competing chain without explicit permission. The incident has therefore raised broader concerns about transparency, miner autonomy, and the influence pools hold over Bitcoin’s block construction process.
OCEAN Hashrate Collapses by More Than 96%
The backlash appears to have coincided with a dramatic decline in OCEAN’s reported hashrate.
The sharp decline highlights the risks of pool-controlled mining templates. Individual miners may own their hardware, but pools often determine which transactions their machines include and which chain they support.
The dispute also reflects a broader division over Bitcoin’s neutrality. In previous coverage, Adam Back called the BIP-110 campaign “idiocracy”. Michael Saylor warned that the proposal could create a dangerous precedent for Bitcoin governance in his analysis of BIP-110 and neutrality.
The uncertainty fueled by such governance conflicts is currently reflecting in the broader market environment. The asset recently lagged gold, silver, and the Japanese yen, adding to uncertainty across the digital asset market. Bitcoin is currently trading at around $65,000, nearly 49% below its all-time high of approximately $126,000.
For the broader market, the lesson is straightforward. The rapid collapse of the BIP-110 chain proves that the Bitcoin ecosystem inherently rejects forced protocol changes and unilateral corporate interventions.
OCEAN now faces a serious reputational crisis. Even if the BIP-110 fork has collapsed, the fallout from the hashrate controversy could continue to affect the pool long after the minority chain disappears.
The post Bitcoin Miners Demand Ousting of OCEAN Leadership After BIP-110 Fork Disaster appeared first on BeInCrypto.
