Ordinals Journey — A Timeline of Events in the Ordinals Space!
It all started on December 14, 2022, when Casey Rodarmor created the first-ever Ordinal inscription by inscribing an original pixel art of a black and white skull on the Bitcoin blockchain, assigning it the number #0. From the genesis inscription , to the launch of Bitcoin Shrooms (the inaugural Ordinals Collection) on 21 January, 2023, the journey has been an extraordinary one.
The timeline continues with notable events like the creation of the first 4MB Inscription by Taproot Wizards on 02 February, 2023, closely followed by the momentous launch of OrdinalsBot, which introduced the first-ever Inscription Service on 07 February, 2023.
With the birth of BRC-20 Protocol on 08 March, 2023, the magic continued to unfold with the introduction of the Bitcoin NFT Marketplace by Magic Eden on 21 March, 2023.
The journey reached new heights on 08 April, 2023, as the community celebrated 1 million inscriptions. This was more than a numerical achievement; it was a testament to the collective devotion and passion that fuelled the evolution of the Ordinals Protocol.
A significant achievement was reached on 04 August, 2023, as the number of inscriptions surpassed the remarkable milestone of 21 Million. In this article, we take a look at some of the most important milestones in the journey of ordinals- so far!
The Genesis Ordinal
On December 14, 2022, Casey Rodarmor, the founder of the Ordinals Protocol, created the first-ever Ordinal inscription by inscribing an original pixel art of a black and white skull on the Bitcoin blockchain, assigning it the number #0.
The first inscription, marking the Genesis Ordinal, featured a simple pixel art of a skull, while the second inscription showcased the infamous CryptoDickbutts NFT. Rodarmor’s goal was to offer a unique NFT experience within the Bitcoin ecosystem, combining his passion for art and programming. The result was Ordinal theory, creating a new way to interact with digital content on the Bitcoin blockchain.
The Birth of Ordinals Protocol
The Ordinals Protocol was launched on January 21, 2023. It was created by Casey Rodarmor, a programmer and artist who wanted to create a way to inscribe digital content onto the Bitcoin blockchain.
The launch of Ordinals Protocol is a major step forward for the Bitcoin ecosystem. It brings NFTs to the Bitcoin blockchain, making it possible to create truly decentralized NFTs that cannot be censored or tampered with. This could have a significant impact on the future of Bitcoin, as it could make Bitcoin a more versatile and useful platform.
Bitcoin Shrooms Minted Out
The Bitcoin Shrooms Collection is a set of 210 pixelated mushroom images inscribed on the Bitcoin blockchain. The collection was created by an anonymous group of people, and the first shroom was Inscription 19, which alludes to the mystery and anonymity of the Bitcoin blockchain.
The Bitcoin Shrooms Collection is one of the first NFT collections to be created using the Ordinals Protocol.
Taproot Wizards
The first 4MB inscription by Taproot Wizards was a historic event in the Bitcoin NFT space. The inscription, which was created by independent Web3 developer Udi Wertheimer, was the largest block and transaction in Bitcoin’s history at the time.
The inscription was a 3.94 MB image of a hand-drawn wizard, and it was minted in collaboration with the Luxor mining pool. The process of minting the inscription required the cooperation of a number of Bitcoin miners, who agreed to process the large transaction.
OrdinalsBot is Launched
OrdinalsBot launched the first ever ordinals inscription platform on 07 February 2023. OrdinalsBot has been a leading force in the Ordinals community since its launch. It provides inscription services, launchpad facilities for creators and artists, and a powerful API for bulk inscriptions onto the Bitcoin blockchain.
Xverse Ordinals Support
Xverse, a Bitcoin Web3 wallet, officially launched support for Bitcoin Ordinals on 15 February 2023. The wallet allows users to store, send, receive, and inscribe Bitcoin Ordinals without the need to run a full Bitcoin node.
Introduction of Sats Names
Sats names are human-readable names that are attached to Bitcoin wallet addresses using the Sats Names System (SNS). SNS is a standard for creating human-readable names on the Bitcoin blockchain using ordinal inscriptions.
Sats names are similar to domain names on the internet. They allow users to easily remember and share their Bitcoin wallet addresses. For example, instead of sharing a long and complicated Bitcoin address, you could simply share your .sats name.
Sats names can be used to create NFTs that represent names. These NFTs can then be traded or sold on Bitcoin NFT marketplaces. The .sats name standard was created by Leonidas, the founder of Ord.io.
100K Inscriptions
On March 8, 2023, the Ordinals protocol reached a major milestone: 100,000 inscriptions had been created on the Bitcoin blockchain.
The 100,000 inscriptions acted like magic, propelling Ordinals into the spotlight. This achievement not only celebrated the success but also hinted at an exciting future ahead for the ordinals project.
BRC-20 Protocol
BRC-20 was introduced by an anonymous developer and twitter user @domodata on March 8, 2023. The token standard is based on the Taproot upgrade, which was launched on November 14, 2021. BRC-20 tokens are created using ordinal inscriptions. These tokens represent digital art, music, real-world assets such as cars and houses. They provide artists and musicians a safe way to create valuable digital assets. Additionally, BRC-20 makes it easier to track ownership of real-world assets on the Bitcoin blockchain. Overall, it brings versatility and value to the Bitcoin ecosystem.
DeGods Collection on Bitcoin
The DeGods collection was created in 2021 and minted originally on the Solana Network. The team then burned them to cut down the supply. Now, these unique NFTs were given a second life on the Bitcoin blockchain.
DeGods is known for its high-quality artwork and its exclusive community. To facilitate a seamless transition to Bitcoin, DeGods collaborated with Luxor Technologies, a Bitcoin miner, to compress each NFT into a low-resolution format of 210×210 pixels and inscribed into a single block — 776408.
Magic Eden Launches Ordinals Marketplace
Magic Eden, a leading non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace on Solana, announced the launch of a Bitcoin NFT marketplace on 21 March, 2023. The marketplace allows users to buy, sell, and trade Bitcoin NFTs that are created using the BRC-20 token standard.
Recursive Inscriptions
Recursive Inscriptions introduced an exciting and innovative method that had the potential to expand the Bitcoin NFT network even further, making it larger and more amazing. They involve the embedding of data from existing inscriptions into new ones, creating a network of interconnected data sources. [ View an Example ]
This approach aims to overcome the 4MB limit previously associated with inscriptions on the Bitcoin blockchain. By linking data through a series of calls, developers can extract and utilize information from multiple blocks, allowing for more complex processes and potentially larger files, such as high-resolution images, videos, and even running software on-chain.
21 Million Inscriptions
The achievement of surpassing 21 million Bitcoin Ordinals inscriptions was significant for several reasons. Firstly, it demonstrates the protocol’s increasing traction. The count of inscriptions has been steadily rising since the protocol’s launch, and this milestone indicates its growing popularity. Secondly, the significance of this milestone is tied to the total supply of Bitcoin.
The Road Ahead
The possibilities for ordinals are endless. As the technology continues to develop, we can expect to see even more innovative and exciting applications for ordinals on the Bitcoin blockchain.
Stay in touch…
- Join the OrdinalsBot Discord here: https://discord.ordinalsbot.com
- Follow us here: https://twitter.com/ordinalsbot
- Inscribe something here: https://ordinalsbot.com
- Launch your collection here: https://ordinalsbot.com/launchpad