Ordinals are inscriptions created with the protocol described at: docs.ordinals.com/inscriptions.html The protocol was designed by developer Casey Rodarmor, and shares a few similarities with the AtomSea & EMBII protocol.
The protocol also includes a way to have ownership over inscriptions, effectively creating an NFT system on top of the bitcoin blockchain. AtomSea & EMBII also already had such a system however. In either case, Ciro Santilli couldn't give less of a fuck about who owns some random publicly viewable digital asset.
For whatever reason, orinals became extremelly popular compared to the AtomSea & EMBII format, leading to millions os inscriptions, and 10k+ images as of block 830k. They also started to take up a substatial portion of the available block space.
This in turn led to a lot of child porn rediscussion, and people linking back to this page to view earlier inscriptions: incoming links.
Unfortunately, unlike AtomSea & EMBII and even cryptograffiti.info uploads, most ordinals are designed to be just souless bulk collectibles, as with as much artistic merit as any random collectible card set or postage stamps you may find at a newpaper stall. To make things worse many of them are likely algorithmically generated. Eternal September had truly arrived to the Bitcoin blockchain. As a result, machine learning would be almost essential in order to find interesting uploads amidst such bulk.
The source code for the reference uploader and indexer is at: github.com/ordinals/ord
The reference viewer server for the runs at: ordinals.com.
The
i0
at the end of the URL above means "inscription 0". This is because a single transaction can have multiple inscriptions.Some of them have sold for high prices. Magic Eden is a popular interface for trading them:
- 2023-12-08: #8 was sold dor 10.4 BTC[ref] (~$450,000 at the time)
The ordinals also started taking up large portions of the Bitcoin blockchain:
Apparently the "Taproot" Bitcoin update made it easier to upload image-sized data once again, which had become prohibitively expensive 2023 and much earlier:
- protos.com/did-taproot-ruin-bitcoin-with-nft-inscriptions-of-monkey-jpegs/
- ordinals.com/ appears to index some types of ordinals
Bibliography:
- blocktelegraph.io/parent-child-bitcoin-inscriptions/ parent-child relationshipsi are possible between two ordinals
- ordinals.com/
- bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/117018/understanding-how-ordinals-work-with-the-bitcoin-blockchain-what-is-exactly-sto
- bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/118405/read-ordinal-transaction-data
- bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/118247/can-someone-explain-the-byte-composition-of-an-inscription-reveal-transaction
- nftnow.com/guides/bitcoin-nfts-most-notable-ordinals-inscriptions/
"WE ARE 256, WE ARE 1" is an invitation to a Discord-based puzzle game with the promise of a money prize of unspecified value in Round 10.
It is written as a short mystery story/cult invitation/tabletop RPG with some mysterious Braille Unicode art cabal symbols thrown in, nice work, e.g. the first one:
⣤⡀⠀⠀⠠⣤⠀⠀⠀⠀⣤⠀⠀⢠⡄⠀⠀⣤⠀⠀⠀⠀⣤⠄⠀⠀⢀⣤⠀
⠀⠘⢷⣄⠀⠀⠹⣧⡀⠀⠀⢸⡆⠀⢸⡇⠀⢰⡇⠀⠀⢀⣼⠏⠀⠀⣠⡾⠃⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠙⢷⣄⠀⠘⢷⡄⠀⠘⣷⠀⠘⠃⠀⣼⠇⠀⢠⡾⠃⠀⣠⡾⠋⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠻⣦⣀⠀⠻⣧⡀⠈⢿⡄⠀⢿⠄⢀⡀⠠⡿⠀⢠⡿⠁⢀⣼⠟⠀⣀⣴⠟⠀
⠀⠀⠈⠙⢶⣄⠈⠻⣦⡈⢿⡄⠈⢠⣿⣿⡄⠁⢠⡿⢁⣴⠟⠁⣠⡶⠋⠁⠀⠀
⠀⣀⣀⠀⠀⠈⠛⢦⣈⣿⣄⠃⣠⣿⣿⣿⣿⣄⠘⣠⣿⣁⡴⠛⠁⠀⠀⣀⣀⠀
⠀⠈⠙⠛⠷⢦⣤⣀⡉⠻⠋⣰⣿⡿⠿⠿⢿⣿⣆⠙⠟⢉⣀⣤⡴⠾⠛⠋⠁⠀
⠀⢶⣦⣤⣤⣤⣈⣉⣛⠃⢀⣡⡄⢀⡤⠤⠀⢠⣌⡀⠘⣛⣉⣁⣤⣤⣤⣴⡶⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣉⣉⡉⠁⢰⣿⣿⣇⠸⠀⠀⠀⣸⣿⣿⡆⠈⢉⣉⣉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠛⠛⠉⠉⢉⠉⢁⣤⣈⠛⠻⠿⠷⣤⣤⠾⠿⠟⠛⣁⣤⡈⠉⡉⠉⠉⠛⠛⠀
⠀⣠⣤⡶⠞⠋⢠⣾⣿⣿⣿⣶⣶⣤⣤⣤⣤⣶⣶⣿⣿⣿⣷⡄⠙⠳⢶⣤⣄⠀
⠀⠉⠀⣠⠀⢠⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡄⠀⣄⠀⠉⠀
⠀⢀⣠⡾⠋⣠⠞⠁⣰⡟⠁⢸⡏⠀⢸⡇⠀⢹⡇⠈⢻⣆⠈⠳⣄⠙⢷⣄⡀⠀
⠀⠛⠋⠀⠚⠋⠀⠐⠛⠀⠀⠚⠀⠀⠘⠃⠀⠀⠓⠀⠀⠛⠂⠀⠙⠓⠀⠙⠛⠀
The game is announced on the following inscriptions from (2023-07-18):
The prize promise is:There may also be a pay to win mechanic which is perhaps how the scam works:
Amidst the labyrinthine trials, the ultimate test lies in Round 10, where grand prize money riddles await the most skilled and dedicated participants.
In this cryptic journey, the number of 256 Ordinals held becomes a key determinant of progress. Those who hold a higher number of Ordinals, standing as sentinels of wisdom, enjoy an edge over others. They are safeguarded from regressing beyond their current round, their position secured by the strength of their holdings.However, for those who possess fewer Ordinals, a different fate may await. Purges, shrouded in mystery, can demote participants to lower rounds, challenging them to rise again through determination and resolve. The path to enlightenment demands resilience and the tenacity to overcome setbacks.
Finally further down we see some join instructions:And finally they give concrete join instructions at:Removing the spaces it is just Base64:giving:so perhaps there is a hidden message in that text to actually access the Discord?
V. Whitelist Access and Discord Roles
IX. Join the Illuminated OnesSW4gdGhlIGhhbGxvd2VkIGNoYW1iZXJzIG9mIDI1NiwgYSBzZWxlY3QgZ3JvdXAgZW1lcmdlcyBmcm9tIHRoZSBkZXB ... XBsZXMgb2YgQml0Y29pbiByZWlnbiBzdXByZW1lLg==
xsel -b | tr -d ' ' | base64 -d
In the hallowed chambers of 256, a select group emerges from the depths of knowledge and mastery. As we ascend through the challenging rounds and unravel the enigmas that lie within, a council of visionaries begins to take shape. These luminaries, the Illuminated Ones, are the chosen few who have delved deepest into the mysteries, unlocking the secrets that bind our shared destiny.To join the ranks of the Illuminated Ones is to embrace the challenge laid before us. It requires unwavering determination, relentless pursuit of knowledge, and an insatiable curiosity that drives us to unlock the hidden depths of the Watch Tower. As we decode the cryptic puzzles and navigate the labyrinthine maze, we become catalysts of change, shaping the very fabric of our collective future.Only the smartest, the most intrepid, and the boldest souls will find themselves welcomed into this secret council. They are the ones who have traversed the treacherous terrain, tested their mettle, and emerged triumphant. With each step forward, they gain insights and wisdom that have the power to reshape the very landscape of the digital realm.Curious and courageous souls are invited to join the ranks of the Illuminated Ones. Those who dare to challenge the boundaries of what is known and venture into the realm of the unknown are the ones who will find their rightful place among the visionaries and leaders of the 256 community. Together, we wield the power to shape our shared destiny, to create a future where decentralization, privacy, and the principles of Bitcoin reign supreme.
This is the collection on Magic Eden: magiceden.io/ja/ordinals/marketplace/256, which contains links:
- discord.com/invite/SxsQ4xh6P2 (invite invalid as of April 2024)
- twitter.com/WEARE256BTC (this account does not exist as of April 2024) Mentioned e.g. at: twitter.com/Dworfz/status/1684301131806015489