OCEAN Pledges BTC Refunds After Chain-Split Error

Bitcoin mining pool OCEAN has announced it will reimburse miners after a configuration issue caused some operators to unknowingly mine on the BIP-110 chain for roughly 18 hours. The pool said it will distribute approximately 0.3 bitcoin in direct rebate payments to match the rewards miners would have earned on the main chain.

The incident occurred due to a Stratum configuration flaw, leading miners who believed their hashrate was directed to the non-BIP-110 chain to contribute to the BIP-110 side of the split. OCEAN confirmed that for about 18 hours, miners using its Stratum templates were affected. The pool added that its default endpoint has been restored to the non-BIP-110 chain, though both mining options remain available.

To ensure no miner is disadvantaged, OCEAN will issue direct bitcoin rebate payments based on rewards miners would have earned on the non-BIP-110 chain during that period. Payments are expected to be completed within 72 hours, and transaction details will be published once sent.

The event sparked broader debate over how mining pools handle default configurations during contentious network splits. The Bitcoin blockchain fractured into two chains on Aug. 8: one enforcing the BIP-110 proposal and the original mainnet. The split followed weeks of debate between BIP-110 proponents, including Bitcoin developer Luke Dashjr, and critics like Strategy Executive Chairman Michael Saylor.

Critics, including Bitcoin developer Peter Todd, alleged that OCEAN’s default DATUM settings automatically routed unassigned hashpower toward the BIP-110 minority chain. OCEAN responded by restoring the default endpoint to the non-BIP-110 chain and leaving both endpoints live for client choice.

The pool also noted that miners on the default endpoint did not need to take any action. The incident highlights ongoing tensions in the Bitcoin mining community over chain-split governance and default configurations.

Source: https://news.bitcoin.com/mining/ocean-pledges-btc-refunds-after-chain-split-error/