How to Inscribe a Bitcoin Ordinal NFT

Until recently, the only way to inscribe an ordinal was with a fully synced Bitcoin node, which is costly and requires advanced technical competence. Now inscription services like Gamma and Ordinals Bot have provided easy, low-cost ways to inscribe Bitcoin Ordinal NFTs. These no-code tools gives you the option to choose or customize your transaction fee based on network congestion.

Prominent artists and projects like Megapont Ape Club are flocking to the marketplace, launching exciting NFT collections to leverage Bitcoin L1’s rarity and immutability. Here’s a quick guide on Bitcoin Ordinal inscriptions with Gamma:

Step 1

Download Xverse wallet, available for iOS, Android or the Chrome Browser extension. Connect to an inscription service like Gamma.io or Ordinalsbot and select your inscription type.

Step 2

You can opt to inscribe an image or text directly onto the Bitcoin blockchain. Upload your inscription by choosing the preferred file from your device. Gamma recommends to keep your files under 35kb for the best results. File sizes vary and this affects the cost, this is the same as the transaction fee you would pay for the speed of the confirmation. Remember, your inscription can be viewed by anyone and never changed or deleted. Be sure what you upload is exactly as you intend it to be.

Step 3

Now you can choose your transaction fee based on the network congestion. Keep in mind that the higher the fee is, the more likely your transcription will be created sooner. However, this can still take a few hours or even several days. Select “continue” and set your transaction fee. The fees range from normal, high, or custom fees.

These amounts are estimated and the Bitcoin network fees are needed to create your inscription. Higher fees are prioritized and can help your inscription get minted sooner. Even high fees can take hours or up to several days to settle on the blockchain.

Step 4

Now you will need to enter your ordinal recipient address. To receive your Bitcoin NFT, you’ll need to have a new and unused taproot Bitcoin receiving address compatible with Ordinals. In your Xverse wallet, navigate to the NFT tab and press the receive button for Ordinal NFTs. Copy the taproot recipient address and insert in the BTC wallet recipient address field in Gamma.

If you insert a BTC recipient address that is not compatible with ordinals, Gamma cannot guarantee you’ll be able to transfer your ordinal from a non-taproot address.

Step 5

Finally, you’ll need to agree to the terms of service and pay the inscription fee by sending the requested BTC amount to the wallet address. You’ll need to own some BTC to pay the transaction, which you can purchase directly in your Xverse app using a fiat onramp service. Once the transaction is confirmed, you’ll get a link to see your inscription on http://Ordinals.com and details of the transaction.

And that’s it! You’ve just inscribed a piece of Bitcoin NFT history. Depending on network demand, your inscription may take up to a few days to complete before appearing in your Xverse NFT collection. On the completion screen, you can check the status of your transaction with Gamma.