Glossary › NFTs & Gaming › Ordinal

NFTs & Gaming Intermediate

Ordinal

Definition

A Bitcoin-native NFT system that inscribes data directly onto individual satoshis, creating unique digital artifacts on the Bitcoin blockchain. Launched January 2023, Ordinals brought NFTs to Bitcoin.

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Difficulty

Intermediate

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Category

NFTs & Gaming

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See Also

8 related

◆ Key Takeaways

1

A Bitcoin-native NFT system that inscribes data directly onto individual satoshis, creating unique digital artifacts on the Bitcoin blockchain.

2

Launched January 2023, Ordinals brought NFTs to Bitcoin.

Why It Matters

This concept shapes the NFT and digital ownership landscape. Whether you are collecting, creating, or building in the NFT space, understanding it gives you a significant advantage.

Related Terms in NFTs & Gaming

Non-Fungible Token — a unique digital asset on a blockchain representing ownership of items like art, music, gaming assets, and collectibles. Unlike fungible tokens (BTC, ETH), each NFT is distinct and non-interchangeable.

The Ethereum standard for non-fungible tokens, defining how unique digital assets are created, owned, and transferred. Each ERC-721 token has a unique ID. The foundation of the NFT ecosystem.

A multi-token standard supporting both fungible and non-fungible tokens in a single contract. More gas-efficient than ERC-721 for collections. Widely used in gaming for items with varying quantities.

The descriptive information associated with an NFT: name, description, attributes, and image URL. Stored on-chain, on IPFS, or on Arweave. Metadata quality and storage method affect NFT longevity.

The link pointing to an NFT's metadata file, typically a JSON document containing the name, description, image URL, and attributes. Can point to IPFS, Arweave, or centralized servers.

InterPlanetary File System — a decentralized storage network where files are addressed by their content hash rather than location. NFTs use IPFS to store images and metadata in a censorship-resistant manner.

A permanent, decentralized storage network where data is stored forever through a one-time payment. Preferred over IPFS for NFT storage because data persistence is guaranteed by economic incentives.

An NFT with all data (image, metadata) stored directly on the blockchain rather than external storage. Fully decentralized and permanent but limited by blockchain storage costs. Art Blocks and Autoglyphs are examples.

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