UASF and NO2X: Bitcoin's Independence Day
- Bitcoin
- CT Lore
During the Bitcoin Block Size War, users organized a User-Activated Soft Fork (UASF) to force SegWit activation against miners' initial resistance. Proposed by pseudonymous Bitcoiner 'Shaolinfry' as BIP-148, the UASF was scheduled for August 1, 2017, an unprecedented move showing that node operators could enforce consensus changes without miner approval. Simultaneously, a grassroots 'NO2X' campaign on Twitter rallied against SegWit2x, a corporate-backed hard fork. Both efforts succeeded: SegWit activated, and SegWit2x was called off in November. August 1st became known as 'Bitcoin Independence Day,' proving the community could override entrenched mining interests.