Inscriptions
TL;DR
Inscriptions are pieces of arbitrary data (text, image, video) stored permanently on the Bitcoin blockchain via the Ordinals protocol.
Inscriptions use Taproot's large witness discount to place up to ~390KB of data in one transaction at relatively low cost. The data is inscribed to a specific satoshi via ordinal theory. Content is fully on-chain — permanent and unremovable. Between 2023-2026, millions of inscriptions were created.
Example
An artist uploads an 80KB SVG as inscription. The sat it rides is uniquely identifiable and tradeable. Value: from a few euros to hundreds of thousands for popular collections.
Frequently asked questions
Do inscriptions last forever?
Yes. Bitcoin blockchain = permanent. Removal is impossible; even the creator can't undo it.
Related terms
Further reading
- → Our service: Bitcoin sector