What are Bitcoin Runs for?
Bitcoin runes represent an essential step to preserve the relevance of the Bitcoin network in a world of increasingly complex blockchain applications. Given the fact that Bitcoin is the first cryptocurrency, it has certain limitations. For example, unlike Ethereum, Bitcoin does not support complex smart contracts, which limits its application beyond simple transactions. Also, Bitcoin was created as a fungible asset, which makes it difficult to create and manage non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which require unique identifiers. Additionally, scalability is another challenge, as the network often becomes congested, resulting in slower transactions and higher fees. Although the Ordinals have tried to solve these problems, Bitcoin Runes strives to be a more efficient and comprehensive alternative.
Source: cointelegraph
What are Bitcoin Runes?
Bitcoin Runes work by incorporating additional data into Bitcoin transactions that contain information about the unique identifier of each token or digital asset, thus distinguishing them from regular Bitcoin transactions. This mechanism allows for the creation of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and other unique digital goods on the Bitcoin blockchain, which is considered more secure and decentralized than other blockchains such as Ethereum. For example, an artist can issue her digital work as a Bitcoin Rune by first encoding the artwork into metadata that includes information about the work, then initiating a Bitcoin transaction with a small amount of BTC and embedding that data into it. When a transaction is confirmed, the digital work permanently becomes part of the Bitcoin blockchain, and the satoshi associated with that transaction become NFTs or unique digital assets whose value can exceed the standard market price of Bitcoin, precisely because of their uniqueness.
Source: cointelegraph
Differences between Ordinals and Runes
The main difference between Ordinals and Runes lies in the way the data is encoded. Runes use metadata within a Bitcoin transaction, which allows for much more flexibility compared to Ordinals, which are limited to 80 bytes within an array. For example, a creator creating a detailed digital work can encode comprehensive metadata with Runes, including a title, description, author information, and links to high-resolution images. Ordinals, on the other hand, only allow basic information like a short headline or description to be encoded, which significantly limits the level of detail. While Ordinals have a wider application, Runes are optimized for creating and managing non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and other unique digital goods. Runes make it easy to mint, transfer, and trade these unique tokens. On the other hand, Ordinals are more versatile and can track different types of data, supporting a wider range of applications. In terms of scalability, Runes also outperform Ordinals. Because the field in which the data is stored has limited capacity, more complex data sets require more transactions, which can overload the network and lead to higher fees. Bitcoin Runes allow you to process a larger number of transactions without significantly congesting the network and increasing fees, so in the long run they are a more efficient way to store data on the Bitcoin blockchain.
Source: cointelegraph
How to buy Bitcoin Runese?
Unless you’re some kind of artist, developer, or representative of the Web3 gaming community, you’re likely to trade Bitcoin Runese as a crypto enthusiast or investor. While artists would have to “mint” or “engrave” Bitcoin Runese through protocols like Counterparty or Stacks, trading Runes is simpler and more similar to buying other tokens, with a few key differences.
Step 1: Create and set up a Bitcoin wallet. Choose a Bitcoin wallet that supports Runes, such as MetaMask or Ledger. Install a wallet, create a strong password, and back up your recovery phrase.
Step 2: Find the market. Look for markets that offer Bitcoin Runes, such as OpenSea or OKX. Register and verify your account on your chosen market.
Step 3: Buy Bitcoin. If you don’t have Bitcoin, buy it at Kriptomat, or if you can’t, then through one of the many exchanges.
Step 4: Buy Runes. Find the Runes you want in the market and use your Bitcoin to make a purchase, following the platform’s instructions.
Source: cointelegraph
The future of NFTs on the Bitcoin network
NFTs have several useful applications, such as representing ownership of real physical objects, thereby enabling collateralization and price stability, or in digital art, where they allow artists to create unique and verifiable digital works. But the question is whether NFTs on the Bitcoin network will become really necessary. Proponents point out that Bitcoin’s unparalleled security and immutability is an ideal basis for protecting digital assets, but over time, this argument is likely to weaken. Blockchains such as Tezos, which are self-upgraded without the need for hard forks, and alternative consensus mechanisms such as Cardano’s Ouroboros or Algorand’s Pure Proof-of-Stake, are increasingly reducing security doubts between Bitcoin and other networks. In fact, security is often cited as the only reason why someone would prefer NFTs on Bitcoin over Ethereum or other blockchains. While Bitcoin NFTs offer an opportunity for additional relevance of Bitcoin in a world of diminishing use for payments, there is a suspicion that short-term profits and maintaining the value of large Bitcoin holders are key motives behind this trend. Nevertheless, protocols that use Bitcoin upgrades such as Native SegWit and Taproot are certainly interesting, but in the long run, more suitable networks will likely be sought for wider crypto adoption or a different application on the Bitcoin blockchain. We hope you enjoyed reading today’s blog. If you have any questions or suggestions, you can always contact us on our social networks (Twitter, Instagram).