Bitcoin heading to November split: Experts

Bitcoin's popularity has led to congestion in trade, with transaction times and processing fees at one point soaring to records

Bitcoin is looking increasingly likely to splinter off again in November, creating a third version of the world’s largest cryptocurrency, as miners and developers pursue separate visions to scale its rapidly growing marketplace.

Major industry players, including the bitcoin investor Roger Ver known as “Bitcoin Jesus” for proselytising on behalf of the digital currency, say consensus between opposing camps looked increasingly unlikely. That opinion was echoed by some of the biggest mining pool operators and also programmers — known as “Core” developers — who were instrumental to developing the infrastructure of the original bitcoin network.

In recent weeks, a group of miners