Since the Ordinals protocol ignited the popularity of BTC NFTs, BRC-20 has emerged as a new sector eagerly adopted by users and centralized exchanges alike. These new protocols have revitalized the traditionally "conservative" Bitcoin blockchain. Beyond minting NFTs and issuing tokens, initiatives now include creating domain names and launching BTC DeFi platforms. This surge of innovation leads many to wonder: is the Bitcoin ecosystem summer finally arriving?
Although the Bitcoin ecosystem is still in its early stages compared to Ethereum and other networks, infrastructure and projects have rapidly advanced since February. Early entrants have undergone multiple iterations, steadily expanding their functionalities. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of infrastructure and projects within the Bitcoin ecosystem.
Wallet Solutions for the Bitcoin Ecosystem
Ordinals Wallet
Ordinals Wallet is a non-custodial BTC wallet that enables users to view and store both BTC and Ordinals NFTs. The mnemonic phrase is generated locally, encrypted within the browser, and stored on the user's device, ensuring a high level of security. Users can create and transfer Ordinals NFTs directly from the wallet and list BRC-20 tokens on the integrated Ordinals Wallet marketplace.
Hiro Wallet
Hiro Wallet is a wallet developed on the Stacks blockchain, offering support for Bitcoin, NFTs, and Ordinals. Browser extension users can manage STX and other assets—such as BNS domains and NFTs—across accounts using the same keys or a hardware wallet device. It supports all asset types that can be sent to a Bitcoin address. Currently, Hiro Wallet supports Ordinals NFTs and Bitcoin Stamps, and users can also view their BRC-20 token balances within the wallet.
Alby Wallet
The Alby browser extension wallet provides deep Lightning Network integration for websites, facilitating payments and authentication processes. A standout feature is its integration with the Nostr social protocol, which helps users manage private keys easily and interact with others. Alby Wallet recently introduced Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC), leveraging the Nostr protocol and Bitcoin's Lightning Network to allow users to send and receive payments directly within applications using their preferred Lightning wallet. Alby is open-source and currently in alpha.
UniSat Wallet
UniSat Wallet is an open-source Chrome extension designed for Bitcoin Ordinals and BRC-20 assets. Its UniSat Marketplace, a PSBT-based platform for trading BRC-20 Inscriptions on the Bitcoin chain, has become a leading trading venue. Users holding the UniSat OG Pass for a certain period can participate in the market testing, with those having the most UniSat Points receiving invitations later.
Generative
The Generative wallet is built on MetaMask, allowing users to log in seamlessly with their MetaMask account. In the background, Generative creates an Ordinals address derived from the user's Ethereum address. It provides a keystore, secure login, Ordinals address, and marketplace for managing Bitcoin NFTs.
Xverse
Xverse is a non-custodial mobile crypto wallet for Android and iOS, supporting Stacks and Bitcoin. Its primary goal is to serve as the entry point for all Bitcoin Web3 applications powered by Stacks. Users can create, issue, buy, and sell various types of NFTs, including art, music, games, and domains. Transactions can be conducted using STX tokens or other cryptocurrencies like BTC and ETH, with support for connections through Hiro Wallet and other wallets. Developed by Secret Key Labs—founded by former Stacks engineers—Xverse also supports viewing BRC-20 token balances, with transfer and trading functionalities coming soon.
Sparrow Wallet
Sparrow Wallet is an open-source Bitcoin-based wallet supporting multiple transaction types and hardware devices. It is compatible with the Ordinals protocol, allowing users to receive, manage, and transfer BTC NFTs. Creating NFTs is also possible with a Taproot (P2TR) account and operations on Ordinals-supported websites.
NFT Marketplaces and Creation Tools
Gamma.io
Gamma.io offers a no-code tool for creating Bitcoin NFTs. Users can create images up to 60 kb for a fixed fee of approximately $5 (or 21,000 sats), plus an additional 10% network fee for confirming the BTC NFT. Transaction fees can be selected or customized based on network congestion, with higher fees expediting the creation process. Since Ordinal NFTs are entirely native to Bitcoin without involving additional blockchains or tokens, no wallet connection is needed to access Gamma's Ordinals features. Notably, Gamma's announcement about this tool was itself recorded as an NFT on the Bitcoin blockchain.
Ordswap
Ordswap is an Ordinals marketplace and wallet where users can trade and list Bitcoin NFTs. It features multi-wallet integration and collection retrieval capabilities.
Ordinals Market
Ordinals Market is an open and decentralized platform where anyone can publish their work or collect others' creations. It supports third-party applications and services for enhanced functionality, allowing users to buy or sell BTC NFTs using ETH. The platform connects to verified OpenSea listings via Emblem Vault—a protocol facilitating cross-chain NFT trades—ensuring access to all legitimate Bitcoin NFTs.
OpenOrdex
OpenOrdex is an open-source, zero-fee, trustless Bitcoin NFT marketplace based on Partially Signed Bitcoin Transactions (PSBT), created by community developer Oren Yomtov. Sellers create a PSBT specifying the Ordinal's price, and buyers can sign and broadcast the PSBT to the network. OpenOrdex's centralized order book is developed on the Nostr Web3 communication protocol.
Scarce.City
Scarce City launched SatsCrap, a Bitcoin marketplace using BTC for payments and escrow to facilitate transactions while maintaining user privacy. Anyone with an internet-connected device and Bitcoin can sell legal items and receive payments without KYC, registration, logins, or bank accounts.
Luminex
Luminex is a Bitcoin NFT marketplace that also features Ethereum NFT collections.
MagicEden
Magic Eden introduced its Bitcoin ecosystem NFT marketplace in March, integrating support for wallets like Hiro and Xverse. Traders can list, buy, and sell Ordinals NFTs. The platform also launched a Bitcoin Launchpad to help creators mint Bitcoin NFTs directly using the Ordinals protocol.
ORDX
ORDX is a Bitcoin NFT marketplace providing listings for upcoming NGFTPs. Due to BRC-20's popularity, ORDX has also released the 0RDX BRC-20 token.
Utilities and Services
OrdinalsBot
OrdinalsBot is one of the earliest inscription services, enabling users to inscribe files, text, and .sats domains. Inscriptions are completed within seconds.
OrdinalHub
OrdinalHub is a one-stop platform for discovering, tracking, and analyzing Bitcoin NFTs. It offers rich data to help users gain a trading edge and quickly identify new trends.
BitCheck
BitCheck connects social accounts to Bitcoin addresses. Through BitCheck profiles, users can display all their Bitcoin addresses, including NFTs and BRC-20 tokens. The platform's native token, BIT, is used for payments and accessing various features.
Trustless Computer
Trustless Computer is a Layer 1 protocol expanding Bitcoin's utility beyond cryptocurrency. It enables the creation of DAOs, DEXs, NFTs, tokens, auctions, lending platforms, and data storage solutions.
btswap
btswap is the first decentralized exchange operating on the Bitcoin blockchain via BRC-20. It is a meta-protocol bringing on-chain swaps to BRC-20 tokens, powered by Ordinals liquidity pools. Each swap is recorded as an Ordinal on the Bitcoin blockchain and stored permanently. Beta testing will commence soon.
ALEX
ALEX (Automated Liquidity Exchange) is the first platform building DeFi for Bitcoin through Stacks smart contracts. It offers a suite of DeFi opportunities, including lending, borrowing, and trading.
BTCDomain
BTCDomain, built on Bitcoin, provides an experience similar to ENS (Ethereum Name Service). Domains are fully resolvable, allowing users to send and receive NFTs and BTC. Beyond registration or secondary market purchases, ".btc" domain holders can create homepages with data storage and resolution fully dependent on the BTC mainnet, significantly expanding use cases. BTCDomain utilizes ZK technology, making Bitcoin a functional data chain and creating a native smart contract-like system. This technology allows users to mathematically verify system security.
names.sats
All name.state records are based on Bitcoin, with registration and updates requiring only Bitcoin transactions. Bitcoin nodes contain all information needed to implement name states, eliminating the need for additional databases or trusted services. The project has no mint passes, whitelists, or similar mechanisms; anyone can create a name.
OrdinallDAO
OrdinallDAO is a DAO focused on BTC NFTs, aiming to accelerate the OG ecosystem of Ordinals NFTs by leveraging DAO capabilities to reduce fees and risks. Investors can diversify and mitigate investment risks through collective participation. Using applications like Snapshot for voting, Gnosis Safe for security, and BTC multisig, the DAO raised $153,515 in just three days during a recent fundraising campaign.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Ordinals protocol?
The Ordinals protocol enables the inscription of data onto individual satoshis, the smallest units of Bitcoin, creating unique digital artifacts often referred to as Bitcoin NFTs. This innovation has unlocked new possibilities for creating and trading assets directly on the Bitcoin blockchain.
How do BRC-20 tokens work?
BRC-20 is a token standard on the Bitcoin network that utilizes the Ordinals protocol to inscribe JSON data for token deployment, minting, and transferring. These tokens are created and managed entirely on-chain, representing a significant expansion of Bitcoin's functionality beyond simple value transfer.
What is the difference between Bitcoin NFTs and Ethereum NFTs?
Bitcoin NFTs, or Ordinals, are inscribed directly onto individual satoshis on the Bitcoin blockchain, making them immutable and permanently stored. Ethereum NFTs are typically smart contract-based tokens pointing to off-chain metadata. Bitcoin NFTs benefit from Bitcoin's security and decentralization, while Ethereum NFTs offer more complex programmable features.
Why are wallets like Hiro and Xverse important for the Bitcoin ecosystem?
These wallets provide crucial infrastructure for interacting with Bitcoin-based assets and applications. They support new standards like Ordinals and BRC-20, enable secure management of diverse assets, and serve as gateways to decentralized applications built on layers like Stacks, which bring smart contract functionality to Bitcoin.
What practical uses do Bitcoin domains like BTCDomain offer?
Bitcoin domains provide human-readable addresses for Bitcoin wallets, simplifying transactions and reducing errors. They can also support decentralized websites and identity solutions, leveraging Bitcoin's security for broader applications beyond payments. Explore more strategies for utilizing blockchain domains effectively.
How does the Lightning Network integrate with these new Bitcoin ecosystems?
The Lightning Network facilitates fast, low-cost Bitcoin transactions, which is essential for scaling microtransactions and interactions within NFT marketplaces and DeFi applications. Wallets like Alby integrate Lightning for seamless payments, enabling better user experiences across various Bitcoin-based services. Get advanced methods for leveraging Layer 2 solutions.