Ordinals are a revolutionary concept in the Bitcoin ecosystem, enabling users to inscribe digital assets into individual satoshis. However, many Bitcoin wallets don’t support Ordinals.
Read on to learn about Bitcoin Ordinal inscriptions and which wallets you can use to store and manage Bitcoin Ordinals securely.
What Are Bitcoin Ordinal Inscriptions?
Bitcoin Ordinal Inscriptions are digital artifacts minted on the Bitcoin blockchain by attaching data to satoshis, the smallest unit of Bitcoin. Inscription of data onto satoshis was made possible through the SegWit and Taproot upgrades.
The Ordinal inscription protocol employs the “envelope” mechanism, a Bitcoin script designed to store rather than execute data. The data, representing anything from videos, words, pictures, and games, is inscribed on a satoshi and stored on the Bitcoin blockchain.
The primary benefit of inscribing and storing digital metadata on satoshis on-chain is that it enables the data to inherit the Bitcoin blockchain’s features like scarcity, security, and immutability. These features ensure that the inscriptions remain protected from unintentional or unauthorized changes.
Ordinal inscriptions enable the creation of Bitcoin-native NFTs and require a dedicated Bitcoin wallet that allows you to store, manage, and inscribe Bitcoin Ordinals.
Top 3 Wallets for Bitcoin Ordinal Inscriptions
Below are the top three wallets you can use to store your Bitcoin Ordinal Inscriptions.
Xverse
Xverse is a popular choice among Bitcoin Ordinals wallets, specifically designed with Bitcoin Web3 in mind.
Besides supporting Ordinals, you can also store and trade bitcoin and other Bitcoin-based assets, such as BRC-20 tokens and Runes, and swap your digital assets quickly and securely. Additionally, you can also connect Xverse to all leading Ordinals marketplaces and Bitcoin dApps built on Stacks.
Pros
- Easy to use with an intuitive, user-friendly interface
- Available on desktop and mobile devices
- Compatible with Ledger hardware wallet for offline storage of Bitcoin assets
- Supports Bitcoin-native assets and Stacks
Cons
- No advanced charting tools for active traders
Leather Wallet
Previously called Hiro Wallet, Leather is another wallet option for managing Ordinals inscriptions and other assets secured by Bitcoin.
Leather users can interact with dApps built on Stacks and connect their wallet to several Ordinals marketplaces.
Pros
- Easy to use with an intuitive, user-friendly interface
- Supports Bitcoin and Stacks
Cons
- No mobile version
OKX
OKX Web3 Wallet supports Bitcoin Ordinals in addition to a wide range of other digital assets across a wide range of blockchains.
The wallet allows users to view and transfer Ordinals and connects seamlessly to the OKX Ordinals marketplace, making Ordinals trading easy and accessible.
Pros
- Easy to use with an intuitive, user-friendly interface
- Provides advanced tools for monitoring market trends
- Supports multiple blockchains
Cons
- Advanced features may be offputting for beginners
Conclusion
Ordinal compatible wallets are pivotal in the future of digital assets within the Bitcoin ecosystem.
If you’re venturing into Bitcoin Ordinals, take the time to learn and understand how to secure your digital assets using the wallet that best suits your needs.