How To Mint BRC-20 Tokens On The Bitcoin Network

BRC-20 tokens open doors for developers to build their own decentralized applications (dApps) with unique economies on the Bitcoin network. This fosters community engagement through internal currencies, and attracting investment through innovative token sale structures.

BRC-20 tokens are fungible tokens built on the Bitcoin network using the Ordinals protocol. It also utilizes inscriptions containing JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) data to facilitate the deployment of token contracts, minting tokens, and transferring tokens. Presently, the BRC-20 token standard offers the ability to create a BRC-20 token using the deploy function, mint a specified quantity of BRC-20 tokens using the mint function, and transfer a designated amount of BRC-20 tokens through the transfer function.

BRC-20 and ERC-20 share some similar characteristics and functional concepts, but they are not identical due to their different underlying blockchains and implementation details. One of the differences is that BRC-20 tokens operate on the Bitcoin blockchain, while ERC-20 tokens reside on the Ethereum blockchain. This leads to differences in technical implementations and transaction fees.

Related Reading: How To Buy And Trade BRC-20 Tokens On The Bitcoin Network

Similar to ERC-20 tokens, BRC-20 tokens are fungible, meaning they can be exchanged on a one-to-one basis with equal value. They can be created, transferred, and traded on the Bitcoin network using decentralized marketplaces like Magic Eden with compatible wallets and decentralized exchanges that support the BRC-20 standard.

BRC-20 tokens breathe vitality into the Bitcoin network, acting as programmable extensions that expand the scope beyond basic transfers. They empower the Bitcoin network by enabling the development of DApps, fostering communities, and facilitating ownership of real-world assets. This dynamic frontier presents exciting opportunities for engagement, incentives, and innovation. 

However, it is essential to navigate the technical intricacies and embrace the evolving infrastructure. BRC-20 tokens, still a work in progress, possess tremendous potential to reshape the future of Bitcoin, unveiling a multitude of tokenized possibilities along the way.

Now, let’s dive into the exciting world of building your own BRC-20 tokens! As we discussed, platforms like Magic Eden offer a gateway to creating and trading these digital assets.

Creating BRC-20 Tokens On The Bitcoin Network

Creating BRC-20 tokens involves defining the token’s parameters, such as its name, symbol, and total supply, as well as any additional functionality you want to incorporate, such as token burning or minting restrictions. Once the smart contract is written, it needs to be compiled into bytecode and deployed onto the Bitcoin blockchain using the platform’s provided tools. This deployment process usually involves paying gas fees to execute the necessary transactions. Platforms like Magic Eden enable users to create their own BRC-20 Tokens.

First, visit the Magic Eden homepage, and click on “Connect Wallet” at the top right corner, as shown in the image below:

For the best wallets to use for BRC-20 tokens on the Bitcoin network, check here.

Bitcoin BRC-20

To initiate the creation of your BRC-20 token, it is essential to deploy it first. Adhere to the following instructions to proceed:

Next, click on the “Inscribe” button. (The Inscribe button pops up after you click on the “Mint” icon situated towards the top left of the screen).

Bitcoin network

Next, Click on the “BRC-20 ” tab at the top of the screen.

Bitcoin

Then, follow these instructions:

 

Ticker: Select a four-letter phrase to serve as the unique identifier for your token. For instance, widely recognized BRC-20 tokens have utilized tickers like ORDI or OXBT. Establish the maximum quantity of tokens that will be available for minting. Specify the highest number of tokens that can be minted in a single transaction. Select the desired parameters and click on “Next”.

Bitcoin BRC-20

Choose the desired Bitcoin Network Fee from the options available, such as Low, Medium, or High. After making your selection, proceed by clicking the “Inscribe” button. (Ensure that the chosen ticker is not already deployed to avoid transaction failure. Magic Eden will automatically check this unless instructed otherwise).

BRC-20 minting

Now, wait for the transaction to be confirmed by the Bitcoin network. Confirmation times may vary.After the confirmation, check your wallet. Upon successful confirmation, you will receive a “Deploy” inscription, signifying that you can proceed to mint your tokens. The provided example illustrates a “Deploy” inscription within the Xverse wallet.

Bitcoin Magic Eden

Minting Your BRC-20 Token

Having successfully deployed your BRC20 token, follow these instructions to mint it. Navigate back to the ‘Inscribe Ordinals’ modal located on the Magic Eden homepage. Within the modal, click on the “BRC-20 Mint”  tab to proceed.

Magic Eden

Enter the four-letter phrase that you deployed earlier, indicate the desired quantity of tokens you intend to mint, and specify the number of mint inscriptions you wish to generate.

Note: The maximum number you can mint per transaction has to be the same with the value set in the “Limit per mint” during the deploy process. Now, click on the “Next” button and select the network fee. After selecting the desired fee rate, click the “Inscribe” button. In the following example, 63 BRC-20 tokens are being minted in three batches of 21 each.

BRC-20 tokens

A set of mint transaction links will be provided. Please note that confirming the mint transactions once again may take some time.

Bitcoin network

After confirmation, you will receive the mint inscriptions in your connected wallet.

BRC-20 tokens minted

Congratulations, you have successfully created your first BRC-20 Token!

Conclusion

BRC-20 tokens offer fungible tokenization capabilities within the Bitcoin network, enabling a range of applications and use cases. As the blockchain industry progresses, both NFTs and BRC-20 tokens assume crucial roles in shaping the trajectory of digital ownership and decentralized finance (DeFi).

BRC-20 tokens introduce fungible tokenization capabilities within the Bitcoin network, providing the ability to create and exchange interchangeable tokens. This opens up a wide array of possibilities for various applications and use cases within the blockchain industry. As the blockchain ecosystem continues to advance, both NFTs and BRC-20 tokens play pivotal roles in shaping the direction of digital ownership and decentralized finance, driving innovation, and paving the way for a more inclusive and decentralized financial landscape.

How To Buy And Trade BRC-20 Tokens On The Bitcoin Network

What are BRC-20 Tokens?

BRC-20 tokens are a novel standard on the Bitcoin blockchain, BRC-20 tokens were inspired by Ethereum’s ERC-20. Like Ethereum’s ERC-20 strands for Ethereum Request for Comment, BRC-20 also strands for Bitcoin Request for Comment.

BRC-20 tokens allow the creation, minting, trading, and transfer of fungible tokens or assets on the Bitcoin blockchain through the Ordinals protocol. The Bitcoin Ordinals protocol is a numbering system that allows users to attach extra data to satoshis, the smallest unit of Bitcoin.

The process of attaching extra data to satoshis is called inscription, BRC-20 tokens do not need smart contracts to execute transactions as ERC-20 tokens do, their transactions are done through JSON inscriptions on satoshis through Bitcoin Ordinals.

Differences And Comparison Between BRC-20 And ERC-20

Ethereum’s ERC-20 might have inspired the creation of BRC-20 on the Bitcoin blockchain, but make no mistake, they are not the same, and we are going to explore that in this section of this article.

Operation: One of the key differences between BRC-20 and ERC-20 is that BRC-20 tokens find their home within the Bitcoin blockchain while ERC-20 operates on the Ethereum blockchain.

Implementation: BRC-20 and ERC-20 are both implemented differently; however, BRC-20 is experimental, meaning it has not undergone the BIP process. It only implements changes in the Bitcoin protocol, while ERC-20 has undergone the EIP process, which was approved by the Ethereum community before implementation after being scrutinized.

Security: They are both secure as they are both secure by the top two blockchains in the crypto space, but BRC-20 is secured by the Bitcoin blockchain and ERC-20 is secured by the Ethereum blockchain.

High Gas Fee Or Transaction Fees: They both have high gas fees if you are trading on decentralized exchanges (DEXs).

Wallets: Their wallets are different, you can store your BRC-20 token on wallets that support the Bitcoin Taproot upgrade like Unisat, Xverse, CoinW, and Alex. While ERC-20 tokens are stored on Ethereum-supported wallets like Metamask, Exodus, Trust wallet, Atomic, MyEtherWallet, and all EVM compactable wallets

Smart Contract functionality: BRC-20 tokens do not rely on smart contracts to execute transactions, but ERC-20 tokens do.

Token Value Drive: BRC-20 tokens are token values driven by inscriptions, and ERC-20 token values are driven by utilities and speculations.

Fungibility: BRC-20 tokens are semi-fungible because they are only interchanged in set increments. For example, BRC-20 tokens are being sold in sets, so you can’t buy 1003 xBRC-20 tokens (x being the token) if the only people sell decide to sell in sets of 250, 500, 750, and 1000 depending on how many tokens they want to sell. Meanwhile, ERC-20 tokens are fully fungible because they can be exchanged in any quantity.

Functions: The BRC-20 token standard is majorly to create meme tokens currently, while the ERC-20 token standard is used for a good number of fungible tokens on Ethereum, including stablecoins, governance tokens, wrapped tokens, and utility tokens.

Pros of the BRC-20 Token Standard

The fact that BRC-20 tokens are built on the most secure blockchain in the crypto space Bitcoin, should help you understand these tokens are going benefit from the security that the Bitcoin Blockchain provides.

The interoperability with the Bitcoin network is one of the major advantages of the BRC-20 tokens, as they enjoy and leverage the widespread acceptance of Bitcoin as the most successful crypto, which has contributed to the BRC-20 token’s overall success. Also, this compatibility with Bitcoin gives the BRC-20 standard access to utilize the existing infrastructure the Bitcoin network already has, including its wallets and exchanges.

BRC-20 standard is still in its early stages, so there is huge potential for growth in the future, and as more people keep adopting and investing in BRC-20 tokens 

Cons of the BRC-20 Token Standard

In the same way, as the BRC-20 token standard enjoys the benefits of the Bitcoin network, they are still going to be affected in the areas where Bitcoin lags behind. This is because Bitcoin is not as scalable as some other blockchains like Ethereum. As BRC-20 tokens keep gaining popularity and awareness there are concerns about congestion, which could lead to potential higher gas or transaction fee issues.

Another consideration is that BRC-20 tokens run on ordinals protocol, a protocol that is still in its early phases of development, which means there is a possibility of it being vulnerable or having glitches as the technology evolves.

The Bitcoin Request for Comment (BRC-20) token standard is still in its early stage of development, so it is safe to say it is still semi-fungible compared to the ERC-20 token standard. It has some limitations, like it being sold and bought in sets, you are limited to what is available in the DEX marketplace, and you can’t buy any amount you want, whether in large or small quantities.

BRC-20 Tokens DEX Exchanges

This article is going to cover how to trade Bitcoin Request for Comment (BRC-20) tokens on UniSat, the most used decentralized exchange (DEX) to trade BRC-20 tokens. You can also check out other DEX like Xverse and Alex.

How To Install And Set up UniSat Wallet 

To trade on a decentralized exchange (DEX) you need a wallet, go to your Chrome browser and search for the UniSat Wallet extension as shown below, click on “Add to Chrome” to download and add the UniSat Wallet extension to your Chrome browser.

Unisat wallet

Click the “Create new wallet” button to create your UniSat Wallet.

Bitcoin Unisat

Create your password, use a password you can remember, as you would need your password to make transfers and click on the “Continue” button. The Secret Recover Phrase page will pop up. Write down your secret phrase and keep it in a safe place because anyone who has access to your secret phrase has access to your wallet. Then click on “Continue”.

Bitcoin BTC-20

Expect you are a crypto genius I would advise you to leave the Step 2 page the way it is, just click on “Continue”. The“Compatibility Tips” will pop up check the boxes and click on “Ok”

BRC-20

You have now successfully created your UniSat wallet, where you can receive, send, and buy crypto.

Unisat

When you click on “Receive” you will be given a QR code that you can scan on your phone and also an option to copy your wallet address manually. 

Wallet

When you click on “Send”, you will see where to fill in the Recipient address you want to send your Bitcoin to, and underneath it is where you will input the amount of Bitcoin you want to send. You can choose the transfer speed you want, but note that the faster the transfer, the higher your gas fee or transaction fee.

Bitcoin

I would not recommend that you use the “Buy” feature as it is too expensive, and it is better to buy your Bitcoin on a centralized exchange and send it to your UniSat wallet.

How To Buy, Sell, and Trade on UniSat 

To buy, sell, and trade BRC-20 tokens you need Bitcoin in your wallet for gas fees and Bitcoin to buy the BRC-20 token. So go to any centralized exchange of your choice like Binance, OKX, or ByBit to buy your Bitcoin, copy your UniSat wallet, paste it into the recipient address on the centralized exchange, and send the Bitcoin.

Now that your wallet has been funded it is time to trade, go to the UniSat website, and click on “Connect”.

BRC-20 DEX

Click on “UniSat Wallet”, and connect your UniSat Wallet.

Connect Unisat wallet

Once your UniSat Wallet is connected, Click on “brc-20”, as shown below, to see the full list of BRC-20 tokens you can trade on UniSat

Bitcoin wallet

Click on any of the BRC-20 tokens you which to buy, for example, I clicked on the “meme” token below. There are buttons on the top right of the screenshot circled in red “View” and “Trade”.

BRC-20

If you click on View, it will take you to OKLINK where you can see the meme BRC-20 inscription with all its details, Total Supply, Limit per mint, Holders, Minted tokens, and Price.

Trade tokens

When you click on Trade, it will take you to the UniSat Marketplace, where you will see all the listed meme token inscriptions you can buy.

Bitcoin BRC-20

Click on any of the sellers that have the exact number of meme inscriptions you want to buy or any of the sellers that come close to how many meme inscriptions you want to buy. After selecting a seller, the buy page below with the “Buy Now” button will pop up.

BTC network

Click on “Buy Now” and the confirmation page to confirm your order will pop up, click on “Confirm” and you have bought the BRC-20 token.

BRC-20 wallet

After buying your BRC-20 and you want to sell, go to the marketplace, click on “my brc-20”,  click on the inscription you want to sell, and then click on the list.

Bitcoin

Click on the plus button, input the exact number you like to sell, and click on “Next”.

BRC-20

Click “Next again”.

Bitcoin

“Sign and pay”, and “Done”,  your inscriptions will be listed. When your order gets picked up, your inscription will be sold, and the money will be transferred to your wallet.

Trading tokens

Use CoinW To Track The Price Of Your BRC-20 Tokens

CoinW is a centralized crypto exchange where you can track your BRC-20 and use the charts to make well-informed decisions on the token you want to buy.

Coinw bitcoin

To search for BRC-20 tokens, click on “Market”, click on “Hot”, and then click on “BRC-20”, as shown below.

Charts

For example, I clicked on ORDI, as you can see in the chart below.

BRC-20 charts

Here is another example with RATS, another BRC-20 token on the list.

Bitcoin

Conclusion

In conclusion, BRC-20 tokens provide a novel avenue for tokenization within the Bitcoin blockchain, expanding its utility beyond traditional cryptocurrency transactions. They offer a seamless integration of additional data onto satoshis, enabling a broader range of use cases and applications. 

With BRC-20 tokens, the Bitcoin ecosystem gains enhanced functionality and opens up possibilities for innovative decentralized finance (DeFi) solutions. By leveraging the Ordinals protocol, BRC-20 tokens contribute to the growing diversity and maturity of the blockchain industry as a whole.

Investors Flock To Stacks (STX) As It Gains 10% Against The Bears – Here’s Why

Although the market is experiencing an enormous pullback from its month-long rally, a few outliers continue on their upward march. Stacks (STX) is one of the few altcoins that stemmed the bearish tide and even went against the grain of the market. According to Coingecko, the token is up nearly 21% in the weekly timeframe.

However, STX is starting to feel the pressure. As of writing, the token is already down 3% in the past hour. This brings the question of whether STX bulls can continue the rally or will falter along with the others. 

A New Project Enters The Fray

In an exciting turn of events, the Stacks Status X account posted an update about network congestion that happened yesterday. 

“An exciting new project bringing Ordinals and Stacks closer together launched this weekend. We’re thrilled to see it, but flagging that as a result, the network is seeing increased fees and likely congestion,” said the X account on their recent thread. 

This event is taken as a sign that Stacks is entering a painful growing phase that may or may not signal a brighter future for the network. However, running alongside this congestion is the most recent blog post of the dev team. 

According to muneeb.btc, the code for the Nakamoto Testnet (now branded as Neon) is not complete and will be launched by the end of the month. 

Nakamoto will be the update that will define the network. 

The Stacks’s Notion site announced

“The Nakamoto release brings many new capabilities and improvements to the Stacks blockchain by focusing on a set of core advancements: improving transaction speed, enhancing finality guarantees for transactions, mitigating Bitcoin miner MEV (miner extractable value) opportunities that affect PoX, and boosting robustness against chain reorganizations.” 

If this testnet launch betters the usability of the network and the experience of its users, it will bring a certain bullish yearend for STX.

Related Reading: Internet Computer Loses Grip On $10, But Still Inks 82% Rally – Details

Stacks Stuck In Between Two Rocks

At the time of writing, STX bulls are trying to break out of the $1.1185 price ceiling which has been held by the bears since the start of the month. If the bulls manage to take this price level, STX will continue to reach higher highs. 

However, the current market conditions might prohibit such price movements. Even with a bullish case for the yearend, the token might stabilize between $0.9594 and $1.1185 in the coming days. 

Featured image from Pixabay

This BRC-20 Token Just Breached $1 Billion Market Cap With 180% Rally Today – Details

The BRC-20 token ORDI, which is based on Bitcoin, surged by 181% today amid a wider cryptocurrency upswing and a recent rise in activity surrounding the Ordinals protocol.

According to the most recent data, the token’s trade volume has increased by more than 900% during the last 30 days.

The ORDI coin has experienced a downward trend since its entry onto the market. It began trading at around $10 in June of this year and gradually dropped back to slightly less than $3 by mid-September.

Strong Performance: The BRC-20 Token ORDI

The token’s decline marked the bottom and the beginning of the subsequent bull market, which drove the price up to its all-time high of $66 on November 5.

The previous few days have seen a phenomenal increase in the price of ORDI, and since Bitcoin has recently performed well and crossed $44,000, ORDI is also rising quickly.

The ORDI token, which is based on Bitcoin Ordinals, has achieved triple-digit monthly and weekly percentage growth, making it the first BRC-20 token to surpass a $1 billion market valuation.

Tokens based on Bitcoin are comparatively new in the digital currency space. These tokens leverage the Bitcoin network to produce a variety of digital assets, in contrast to Bitcoin, which is mostly used as electronic money. This change broadens the use of blockchain applications beyond the initial intent of Bitcoin.

Casey Rodarmor introduced the initial version of Bitcoin Ordinals in January. The protocol made it possible to add content to the blockchain of Bitcoin.

An important factor in the development of the two different types of tokens—fungible and non-fungible—was the introduction of the Ordinals mechanism.

In particular, this creative process has played a significant role in the development of BRC-20 tokens, which are a class of fungible token with characteristics similar to those of Ethereum’s ERC-20 standard.

Like BRC-20s, fungible tokens are interchangeable and frequently linked to simpler use cases, such as enabling different decentralized applications and transaction processing.

BRC-20 Coin ORDI And Bitcoin’s Resurgence

Trading in Ordinals decreased significantly in October after reaching a peak in the preceding month, but it increased again once Binance declared it will list ORDI.

The Ordinals Inscription Service, which Binance Pool introduced in August, makes it simpler for users to engrave extra data on the Bitcoin blockchain.

Meanwhile, in the event that investors perceive the saturation and sell in order to book profits, the price of ORDI is expected to find some support at $60.

Since the meme coin is now tracking the price movement of Bitcoin, eventually the rise in BTC will halt, which would prompt additional selling by investors seeking to validate their gains.

(This site’s content should not be construed as investment advice. Investing involves risk. When you invest, your capital is subject to risk).

Featured image from Shutterstock

Dogecoin Transaction Count Rises 60X, But Why Are Prices Down?

Dogecoin’s on-chain transaction count is up more than 60X from roughly 20,000 transactions as of May 1 to over 1.20 million on May 20, BitInfoCharts data shows.

60X Spike In Transaction Count

The present spike represents a 60X expansion in the Dogecoin transaction count, a noteworthy development primarily due to the launch of Ordinals on the proof-of-work blockchain.

The spike in Dogecoin’s transactions coincided with the launch of Ordinals on May 10. With Ordinals now on Dogecoin, another proof-of-work blockchain using the same consensus style as Bitcoin, users can create a new token based on the DRC-20 system. These tokens represent unique assets like texts, images, or videos. Crucially, users don’t have to use smart contracts to mint them.

However, despite the exponential increase in transaction count, DOGE prices are stable, moving horizontally, and relatively unchanged in the last three weeks. The coin is also down 31% from April 2023 peaks.

Related Reading: Dogecoin Multiple Attempts At $0.10: Will The Barrier Finally Be Broken?

Dogecoin is the first meme coin created as a joke and launched in 2013. But over the years, it has gained a significant following and endorsement, including from Elon Musk, the billionaire technology investor. 

DOGE, the native currency of Dogecoin, is one of the largest cryptocurrency networks whose market capitalization places it among the top 10 coins.

As of May 22, DOGE had a market capitalization of $10.1 billion and is more valuable than Polygon, an Ethereum sidechain, and Solana, a smart contracting platform, according to CoinMarketCap data.

Dogecoin Price On May 22| Source: DOGEUSDT On Binance, TradingView

Ordinals On Dogecoin

The DRC-20 standard is inspired by the more popular ERC-20 standard in Ethereum. Tokens complying with the DRC-20 on the Dogecoin platform are fungible and can be transferred.

With these tokens, users can “inscribe” files, attaching them to the smallest unit of Dogecoin called “shibes.” These unique files represent various assets, including texts, images, videos, applications, and much more.

Inscribed files, confirmed by Dogecoin miners and added to the blockchain, are unique and comparable to non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

The rise of DRC-20 tokens on Dogecoin explains why there has been a sharp spike in the number of on-chain transactions over the last 12 days, as trackers show.

To illustrate, BitInfoCharts data shows that the number of on-chain transactions on May 10 stood at 48,500. However, the number has steadily risen in the last 12 days, peaking at 1.2 million on May 20.

Dogecoin Transaction Count

Considering the popularity of NFTs on proof-of-work blockchains like Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Dogecoin, transaction counts on each network will only continue rising. 

Related Reading: Bugs Discovered On Ordinals Protocol As Bitcoin Rips Above $30,000

Ordinals, the team behind the BRC-20 standard that’s now being replicated on Dogecoin, aims to expand the use case of Bitcoin. In their view, Ordinals believe proof-of-work blockchains offer better security and decentralization, allowing NFTs to thrive.