StablR USD (USDR) is a MiCA-compliant stablecoin, fully backed 1:1 with USD, offering secure, transparent digital payments in the European economy.

 continues to gain ground in the crypto world, most countries are leaning toward having a framework to govern and regulate these digital assets. One such framework is the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR, or MiCA for short), the European Union’s gateway for regulating digital assets that aims to provide legal clarity, consumer protection and financial stability.

 — particularly those pegged to fiat currencies — must meet strict standards for transparency, reserve backing and operational governance to be approved for circulation in the EU.

StablR USD is a fully MiCA-compliant, eurozone-issued stablecoin pegged 1:1 to the United States dollar. Built with regulatory alignment at its core, StablR offers a transparent, secure and compliant digital dollar solution tailored for the European market, making it a key player in the future of regulated digital finance.

Let’s learn more about this electronic money token and stablecoin.

 is a company that offers MiCA-compliant electronic money tokens (EMTs) pegged to the dollar at a ratio of 1:1 to each of its fiat equivalents. 

 to provide transparent, secure and regulatory-compliant EMTs that fuel the global economy.

The Malta-based Dutch company currently offers two MiCA-compliant stablecoins: EURR and USDR. EURR is a fiat-backed stablecoin, pegged to the euro 1:1, that runs on the Ethereum blockchain. Meanwhile, USDR is its US dollar–backed stablecoin counterpart that can be redeemed for its fiat equivalent at any time.

StablR is keen on transparency, providing a 

 (PoR) page that shows the current supply and reserves available for its stablecoins. The company leverages a trusted banking custodian to ensure the reserves match or exceed the issued stablecoins.

StablR USD (USDR) is a eurozone-issued, MiCA-compliant 

 fully backed 1:1 with US dollar reserves held in EU-regulated financial institutions. Designed for stability, transparency and regulatory alignment, it offers a secure and compliant gateway to digital finance within the European Union (EU).

Importantly, StablR USD (USDR) isn’t the same as Real USD (USDR), a separate token that recently experienced a significant depeg. StablR USD maintains full transparency and stability, offering real-time reserve attestations, strict compliance with MiCA regulations and the right of redemption for authorized users. This ensures that each USDR can always be redeemed for $1. 

With its strong regulatory foundation and commitment to transparency, StablR USD is positioned as a trusted stablecoin for the future of tokenized finance in Europe.

An electronic money token (EMT) is a type of crypto asset defined under MiCA. EMTs are digital representations of fiat currency — just as the euro or StablR USD (USDR) is a eurozone-issued, MiCA-compliant stablecoin fully backed 1:1 with US dollar reserves held in EU-regulated financial institutions. Essentially, EMTs are a form of stablecoins, and are digital versions of traditional e-money, combining the speed and efficiency of blockchain with the reliability of government-issued currencies.

To be classified as an EMT under MiCA, a stablecoin must meet strict regulatory requirements, including full reserve backing, daily redemption rights and transparency around reserve holdings. Issuers must also be authorized by an EU financial authority, and comply with ongoing audits and consumer protection measures.

EMTs are designed to enable everyday payments, digital commerce and cross-border transactions, offering a compliant and stable alternative to more volatile crypto assets.

You can buy USDR on Bybit’s Spot trading platform (Netherlands only), where it's available as part of two pairs, USDR/USDT and BTC/USDR.

To celebrate the listing, Bybit is holding three special events 

 that will run through May 11, 2025, 9AM UTC. You need to register for the events to get started.

As MiCA regulations take hold, StablR USD (USDR) is leading the way in trustworthy, tokenized value powered by blockchain technology. Its diverse range of use cases, from payments to DeFi, position it as a cornerstone for compliant digital finance. A reliable, MiCA-compliant stablecoin that’s purpose-built for the European digital economy with full 1:1 USD backing held in regulated EU financial institutions and the right of redemption, StablR delivers trust and security in the rapidly evolving stablecoin market.

Intermediate

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StablR USD (USDR): A trusted digital dollar for a borderless economy

In this article, we cover key economic releases amidst Trump's tariff hikes and resulting recession fears. We also look at what investors are watching leading up to the May 6 FOMC meeting, and how it might affect global markets and Bitcoin.

It's a tricky time for global financial markets, with worries swirling around US trade policy and its potential economic effects. Big tariff hikes in the ongoing US-China trade war have made the future feel uncertain, shaking things up for traders and investors.

As everyone tries to make sense of it all, key economic reports are giving us clues. Meanwhile, all eyes are on the upcoming Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on May 6-7, 2025, for hints about where interest rates might be headed. Let's break down the latest data and look ahead to what the Fed might say.

Economic numbers released so far in April have significantly influenced market sentiment amid trade tensions and policy questions. These reports offer a snapshot of the US economy's health just before the newest tariffs start making their mark.

The US job market is still holding up, though some details suggest caution. Initial jobless claims for the week ending April 12 

. That's the lowest since February, and better than the 225,000 applications economists predicted, suggesting companies didn't immediately cut jobs after US president Donald Trump's 

However, continuing claims — the number of people receiving unemployment benefits after the first week — edged up slightly to 1.89 million for the week ending April 5. While new claims are low, higher continuing claims compared to a year ago suggest it might be getting tougher for laid-off workers to find new jobs. A strong job market could mean the Fed feels less pressure to cut interest rates, potentially helping the US dollar but weighing on riskier assets like stocks and crypto.

Good news arrived with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report 

, showing inflation cooled more than expected in March. Headline CPI dipped 0.1% from the previous month, pulling the yearly rate down to 2.4% (from 2.8% in February), below the 2.6% Wall Street forecast.

More importantly for the Fed, core CPI (excluding food and energy) only nudged up 0.1% monthly. This brought the annual core rate down to 2.8%, its lowest since March 2021 and better than the 3% forecast. Lower energy costs — especially gas (−6.3% MoM) — played a big part. While softer inflation usually supports rate cuts, the looming impact of tariffs complicates things, as these duties are expected to push prices higher.

Following the encouraging CPI numbers, the Producer Price Index (PPI) on April 11 also pointed to easing costs for producers. Headline PPI 

 in March against forecasts of a 0.2% rise, slowing the annual rate sharply to 2.7% from 3.2%. Core PPI also fell 0.1% month-over-month, bringing its yearly rate to 3.3%.

Falling energy prices were again a major factor. But the report wasn't all positive — it showed early signs of tariffs hitting, with wholesale iron and steel mill prices jumping 7.1% in March, the biggest monthly leap since April 2021. If these input costs keep rising due to tariffs, it could squeeze company profits and push bond yields higher.

Markets have been volatile, reacting to economic data and trade policy shifts. US stocks saw big swings, with the S&P 500 reacting to both tariff fears and inflation news. When Trump 

 (excluding China) on April 9, it sparked a major relief rally. The S&P 500 had its 

, gaining 9.5% following the news, but overall uncertainty still lingers.

Bitcoin's price certainly reflected this turbulence. Following the April 1 JOLTS report

 from $82,563 to hit a recent high of $86,891 on April 2. However, the gains didn't last, as the price subsequently fell to $74,830 by April 7 amid intensifying US-China trade war tension. 

A recovery brought BTC back to $83,020 by April 10, but it dipped again before getting a boost from the better-than-expected core PPI report on April 11. This pushed the price up from $79,664 on April 11 to $84,074 by April 17. As of April 22, 2025, Bitcoin is trading at around $88,000.

As the US dollar weakened and recession worries grew, gold prices 

, hitting record highs as investors sought safety in the precious metal.

Fed FOMC on May 6–7: What are investors watching?

The upcoming FOMC meeting on May 6–7 is a key focus for traders seeking clarity on interest rates. Markets widely expect the Fed to keep the federal funds rate steady at 4.25%–4.50%. Although March's inflation cooled somewhat, it's still above the Fed's 2% target. Officials have signaled patience, especially with the job market looking stable — something Fed Chair Jerome Powell recently described as being in 

Most investors will watch the FOMC's statement and Powell's press conference for changes in tone, especially regarding tariffs. Fed officials like New York Fed President John Williams have acknowledged tariffs will likely boost inflation and slow growth.

 GDP growth could fall below 1% and inflation could rise to between 3.5% and 4% this year, due to tariffs and less immigration, stating it's "simply too early to know the answers" because of the uncertainty. Powell himself also noted signs the economy might have slowed in the first quarter.

While a May rate cut looks highly unlikely — the 

 shows slim odds — investors will listen for hints about when future cuts might occur. Market analysis suggests a cut at the June 18 meeting is more likely than not. Further out, markets might be pricing in about 

, but predictions vary (from one cut to five). Any sign that cuts could be delayed beyond June, or that the Fed is more worried about inflation, could negatively impact risk assets such as crypto.

Current market sentiment has sunk to extreme fear territory for the past month. Tariffs and recession fears drove a sharp sell-off in global markets and crypto, while economic data is sending mixed signals — a strong job market alongside cooling March inflation right before new tariffs hit.

The upcoming FOMC meeting is pivotal. A rate hold is expected, but the Fed's view on tariff impacts and future rate cuts will be critical. Crypto and equity traders should pay close attention to Fed communications and economic data in order to navigate the uncertainty and adjust their strategies.

If you're looking to diversify or manage risk across different assets, 

 makes it easy to trade gold, forex and other traditional finance markets alongside crypto via our

. You can trade over 100 pairs with features like tight spreads, tailored fees, top-tier liquidity and up to 500x leverage. 

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Macro this week: Tariffs, recession fear and the Fed’s next move ahead of May 6 FOMC meeting

BTC's price moves in response to the Fed's announcements, as its decisions on interest rates, inflation and liquidity impact investor sentiment and risk appetite.

 might be decentralized, but its price movements are influenced by global events, including US monetary policy. Every time the US Federal Reserve makes a statement or shifts its tone, Bitcoin traders react swiftly. Why does a traditional institution such as the Fed have such a strong grip on the crypto market? This article examines how and why BTC’s price responds to Fed announcements, from interest rate decisions to inflation outlooks.

​The Federal Reserve (the Fed) is the independent central bank of the United States, tasked with managing monetary policy to promote maximum employment and stable prices and to moderate long-term interest rates. Its decisions ripple through every financial market, including cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

The Fed’s primary functions include the following:

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is the Fed’s policy‑making body, 

 of the Board of Governors, the president of the New York Fed and four rotating presidents of regional Federal Reserve Banks. They meet eight times a year to review economic conditions and set policy.

Decisions made during these meetings — especially regarding interest rates — are highly anticipated by financial markets. Traders analyze not only rate decisions but also the tone of the Fed’s statements. A "hawkish" tone signals higher rates to fight inflation, while a "dovish" tone suggests looser policy that aims to stimulate growth.

As the issuer of the world's primary reserve currency, the Fed's policy decisions have global ramifications, influencing borrowing costs and impacting assets such as bonds, equities, commodities and even cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. This global impact explains why traders and investors closely analyze these statements and adjust their strategies accordingly. 

Key Fed events that have triggered BTC volatility

From interest rate decisions to inflation commentary and economic outlooks, key communications from the Fed often lead to sharp swings in BTC’s price.

Why does BTC’s price move every time the Fed speaks?

BTC’s volatility in response to Fed speeches boils down to macroeconomic influence. Fed announcements shape expectations for inflation, interest rates and liquidity, which are key factors for crypto markets. Following are some real-world reactions.

September 2024 — Fed cuts rates by 50 bps

 its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point. This move was more aggressive than the 25 bps cut many investors had anticipated.

Following the announcement, Bitcoin's price surged toward $61,000. The larger-than-expected rate cut signaled increased liquidity and a more accommodative monetary policy, boosting investor confidence in risk assets such as cryptocurrencies. 

 at 4.25%–4.50% while tapering quantitative tightening, announcing a reduction in Treasury rolloffs from $25 billion to $5 billion per month. Despite downgrading growth forecasts, the Fed maintained three rate cuts in its 2025 projections, and avoided hawkish rhetoric on inflation overshoot. 

Bitcoin responded by skyrocketing 20% to $86,000 with traders interpreting these signals as sustained monetary support. This surge demonstrated how a dovish hold — coupled with clear guidance on balance sheet policy — can unleash rapid risk‑asset appreciation.

On Apr 16, 2025, Fed Chair Jerome Powell 

 that Trump’s new tariffs could drive inflation higher while choking off growth, mirroring 1970s‑style stagflation. He said the Fed would “wait and see” before shifting interest rates. Bitcoin briefly jumped toward $86,000 as traders eyed it as an inflation hedge, but then tumbled about 2.5% to roughly $83,700 within minutes, mirroring a broader stock sell‑off. By the next day, BTC had climbed back near $85,000 as markets digested the news.

Powell’s comments added uncertainty to the Fed’s policy outlook. While some view Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation and a way to escape traditional financial risks, it still tends to move with risk assets like stocks, often falling on poor economic news.

What traders and investors are really reacting to

When the Fed speaks, crypto traders read between the lines. Every speech, press release or policy statement is scrutinized for forward guidance.

Trading Bitcoin around major news — especially when it comes to the Fed — requires a disciplined approach.

The bigger picture: Is BTC becoming more macro sensitive?

Yes. Bitcoin's price is becoming more influenced by broader economic trends, such as monetary policies and financial market dynamics. In its early years, Bitcoin's value was driven mainly by internal factors like technological advancements and crypto-specific sentiment. However, with growing institutional adoption, Bitcoin has become more tied to traditional financial markets.

For instance, in March–April 2024, BTC 

, echoing similar rallies in stocks and bonds. This move demonstrated how Bitcoin’s price is now closely tied to macro liquidity and institutional trading flows, behaving more and more like a high-risk asset.

Predicting BTC price via the Bybit FOMC Brawl

Think you’ve got a read on how Bitcoin will react to the next Fed move? Put your prediction to the test with Bybit’s FOMC Brawl — a price prediction event that makes macro-driven trading fun, easy and potentially rewarding, with a total 20,000 USDT prize pool up for grabs through May 7, 2025, 10AM UTC.

 events. The first one splits users into two groups:

) expiring by May 9, 2025, and you’ll automatically be placed in the corresponding camp. The team with the highest trading volume wins, with the 18,000 USDT prize pool to be split proportionally among participants.

There’s also a second event with a prize pool of 2,000 USDT, exclusively for new users who sign up for the event and buy BTC Call or Put Options with an expiration on or before May 9, 2025 and achieve an effective USDT Options trading volume > 0. 

Bitcoin’s price reacts to Federal Reserve announcements because the Fed’s policies on interest rates, inflation and liquidity directly impact investor risk appetite and market dynamics. Rate hikes or cuts alter the appeal of risk assets such as BTC, while inflation fears or economic uncertainty drive demand for alternatives. Traders monitor Fed signals to anticipate liquidity changes and adjust strategies, cementing BTC’s role as a macro-influenced asset. As institutional adoption grows, Bitcoin increasingly mirrors traditional markets’ sensitivity to macroeconomic shifts.

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Explainer: Why does BTC’s price move every time the Fed speaks?

Walrus is a decentralized storage protocol that efficiently manages large data files (blobs) through an innovative encoding method called Red Stuff. Learn more.

 systems excel at managing decentralized computation, but struggle with efficiently storing and retrieving substantial chunks of data. Enter Walrus (WAL), a groundbreaking decentralized storage protocol built on the 

Designed to solve storage limitations while maintaining the security and decentralization principles of 

, Walrus represents a significant advancement in blockchain infrastructure. This article explores what Walrus is, how it works and why it might be the future of decentralized data storage.

 is a decentralized storage protocol that efficiently manages large data files (blobs) through an innovative encoding method called Red Stuff. It operates on the Sui blockchain with a network of independent storage nodes to ensure high integrity, availability and authenticity for 

Walrus emerged from Mysten Labs, creators of the high-performance Sui blockchain. Recognizing a fundamental challenge in web3, the team set out to solve the problem of efficient data storage that had plagued blockchain systems since their inception.

Mysten Labs identified that traditional approaches required complete data replication across all validators, creating exponential costs at scale. This inefficiency made storing substantial files prohibitively expensive and limited blockchain applications.

The team developed the revolutionary Red Stuff encoding protocol, delivering the speed and efficiency of centralized storage while preserving principles of decentralization. In March 2025, Walrus secured $140 million in funding, led by Standard Crypto, with participation from a16z crypto, Electric Capital and Franklin Templeton Digital Assets.

Walrus tackles the fundamental problem of storage inefficiency in blockchain systems. Traditional blockchains require every validator to replicate all data, creating exponential costs as networks scale. Such inefficiency has prevented widespread adoption of decentralized storage for data-intensive applications.

Walrus solves the cost barrier through its innovative Red Stuff encoding technology. By eliminating unnecessary redundancy but maintaining security, Walrus dramatically reduces storage expenses as compared to existing solutions. The resulting cost structure makes decentralized storage economically viable for everyday applications that were previously priced out of the market. 

In addition, Walrus addresses the scalability limitations that plague current decentralized storage networks. Existing solutions often collapse under large datasets, while Walrus's architecture efficiently handles terabytes of information across 

, gaming assets, social media content and AI data. 

Finally, Walrus resolves the centralization problem inherent in traditional storage solutions. By removing single points of control, Walrus prevents censorship and unauthorized data manipulation. Applications built on Walrus benefit from guaranteed data availability and integrity, free from centralized authority interference.

Walrus uses Red Stuff encoding with two-dimensional erasure coding to store and retrieve data efficiently. The protocol achieves faster processing across its storage network by employing simple XOR operations instead of complex calculations.

 (DPoS) consensus model, whereby users stake WAL tokens to participate. 

 with higher stakes store and serve data during each epoch, aligning economic incentives with network security.

When users upload files, Walrus divides them into "slivers" distributed across multiple nodes, creating redundancy that preserves availability even when some nodes fail. Operations are organized into epochs, with committees of storage nodes managing network data, while Sui blockchain integration handles coordination, verification and economic incentives.

Walrus offers several innovative features that enhance its functionality as a decentralized storage solution.

 WAL tokens to participate in network operations, while storage providers stake to secure validator positions. Malicious behavior faces swift consequences via slashing penalties targeted at dishonest participants.

The protocol distributes rewards to storage nodes based on their staked amount and performance. Reliable operation and data integrity receive financial incentives, encouraging operators to maintain a long-term commitment, since they benefit from the network's continued growth.

WAL staking empowers token holders with governance authority over the protocol's future. Stakeholders vote on critical upgrades, parameter adjustments and strategic initiatives, ensuring Walrus evolves according to community needs, rather than vis centralized decision-making.

Walruscan serves as the comprehensive network explorer for the Walrus ecosystem, offering transparency into all operations. The dashboard presents real-time storage metrics, currently tracking approximately 309 TB used across 3.5 million blobs within the total available capacity of 4,123 TB.

Users can monitor network activity, including writes, reads and node performance. These metrics allow users to evaluate storage providers based on actual performance rather than marketing claims, helping them select reliable operators for their specific needs.

Walruscan also verifies data availability and provides detailed statistics on pricing, staking amounts and reward distribution. By making these metrics publicly accessible, the explorer fosters accountability and trust between users and service providers while providing valuable insights for investment and development decisions.

NFT projects can leverage Walrus to securely store metadata and digital assets. The protocol's tamperproof storage ensures the longevity and authenticity of valuable digital collectibles while maintaining consistent accessibility.

Decentralized social media platforms can benefit from Walrus's ability to store user-generated content efficiently at scale. Images, videos and text can be distributed across the network without relying on centralized servers, creating truly censorship-resistant platforms.

AI development teams can utilize Walrus to maintain data provenance throughout the machine learning lifecycle. Datasets create verifiable records of origin and modifications, critical for regulatory compliance and ethical AI development.

DApps can overcome storage limitations through Walrus integration. Because computation is separated from storage concerns, DApps can handle larger datasets without sacrificing decentralization principles, while blockchain gaming can achieve new levels of asset persistence and player ownership.

Walrus achieved a major milestone in March 2025 with its successful mainnet launch, securing immediate listings on prominent exchanges such as Bybit. Prior to this, the team conducted rigorous testing of the Red Stuff encoding algorithm while attracting $140 million in funding from leading investors.

For Q2 2025, Walrus plans to establish strategic partnerships with major DApps across multiple blockchain ecosystems. Its Q3 2025 road map focuses on security enhancements with encrypted storage and customizable access control systems, particularly benefiting users with sensitive data requirements.

In Q4 2025, Walrus will prioritize network scaling and performance optimization in order to handle increasing data volumes while maintaining efficiency. Looking to 2026, development will center on comprehensive developer tools, including language-specific SDKs and integration frameworks to simplify building with Walrus.

 powering the Walrus ecosystem. Its maximum supply is 5 billion tokens. WAL enables storage payments, validator staking and governance participation across the network.

Walrus’s tokenomics model creates natural demand as users purchase storage with WAL, while validators stake tokens to secure operations and earn rewards. Governance rights empower WAL holders to vote on upgrades and parameter adjustments, ensuring the protocol evolves according to stakeholder priorities.

The WAL token is to be allocated as follows: 

WAL’s distribution will follow a strategic release schedule extending to March 2033, with vesting periods ranging from 50 months to 8 years.

WAL's price trajectory is closely tied to Walrus's growth as a decentralized storage solution for web3 applications. Currently trading at approximately $0.4138 (as of Apr 17, 2025), WAL has shown promising momentum following its recent mainnet launch and exchange listings.

While cryptocurrency price predictions are inherently speculative, several analysts have offered forecasts for WAL's future value. CoinCodex 

 $0.50 and $1.04 in 2026, with an average price of $0.75. Looking further ahead to 2030, CoinCodex forecasts suggest a range from $1.12 to $1.59.

DigitalCoinPrice offers a similar outlook, predicting that 

 $0.81 and $0.97 by the end of 2026, with the most likely price hovering around $0.90. For 2030, DigitalCoinPrice anticipates WAL potentially crossing the $2.00 threshold.

These projections suggest a positive long-term outlook for WAL, supported by growing demand for decentralized storage solutions. However, WAL's future value will ultimately depend upon Walrus's technological development, widespread adoption across various web3 sectors and broader cryptocurrency market conditions.

Looking to trade Walrus tokens? Bybit now offers the WAL/USDT Spot trading pair. To get started, you'll first need to create a Bybit account, then fund it with cryptocurrency and navigate to the 

While Walrus demonstrates innovative technology and strong backing in the decentralized storage space, investors must carefully weigh its growth outlook against potential risk factors.

WAL shows promising potential, with substantial financial backing and innovative encoding technology. Increasing demand for decentralized storage solutions provides a favorable market environment. However, potential investors should 

, particularly given Walrus's early position in its development journey.

Walrus revolutionizes web3 data storage by combining innovative Red Stuff encoding with Sui blockchain technology to deliver efficient, secure solutions for NFTs, social platforms, AI, gaming and DApps. With substantial funding, technical advantages and growing market need, Walrus demonstrates tremendous potential for the future of web3 data management.

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Walrus (WAL): Your solution for large-scale data on web3

web3

Blockchain

Bitcoin

Explainers

Recursive inscriptions are an extension of the standard Ordinal inscription technology on Bitcoin which can retrieve data from existing inscriptions.

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The pioneer of blockchain technology, Bitcoin (

 functionality. Its primary purpose, as defined by the blockchain’s mysterious founder, 

, was to facilitate secure and anonymous digital asset transfers and storage. This philosophy was thoroughly rattled in early 2023 with the introduction of the Bitcoin Ordinals protocol, which made it possible to inscribe pieces of data onto minuscule portions of a Bitcoin (called satoshis), opening up the prospect of using smart contracts on the chain.

The advent of Ordinal inscriptions paved the way for another key innovation, recursive inscriptions, which facilitate the storage of potentially vast amounts of data on the Bitcoin network. As a result, a plethora of potential use cases — such as gaming, advanced 3D animation and video, and 

 (DeFi) applications — have become feasible.

This new technology represents nothing less than a major paradigm shift, one in which crypto traders may soon engage in coin swaps on Bitcoin as easily as they do on Ethereum (

) or other smart contract chains, along with other use cases. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at recursive inscriptions — possibly the most profound innovation to Bitcoin since the day of the blockchain’s birth some 15 years ago.

If you have some Bitcoin lying around in your crypto wallet, you’re likely to be in possession of a huge number of 

 — the smallest units in a BTC coin — no matter how modest your Bitcoin holdings are. Each Bitcoin is made up of 100 million of these satoshis. In December 2022, blockchain developer Casey Rodarmor realized that each satoshi on the network could be uniquely identified by the positional number within its transaction block and the time when the block was mined.

Moreover, any form of data or content, such as images, text, videos or programming code, can be inscribed onto a satoshi and stored on the Bitcoin network. The satoshi's unique and traceable nature, coupled with the customized data inscribed onto it, yields a crypto asset that’s essentially similar to a 

In January 2023, Rodarmor launched the Ordinals protocol, which facilitates the creation of

 based on inscribing custom content onto satoshis. Ordinal inscriptions (aka Bitcoin NFTs) based on Rodarmor's protocol are pretty different from standard NFTs used on Ethereum, Solana (

) and other smart contract blockchains. Unlike these standard NFTs, Ordinal inscription–based Bitcoin NFTs don’t require smart contracts.

Moreover, Ordinal inscriptions store all of an NFT’s metadata — ownership information, mint date, edition number and other key details — as well as the actual artwork directly on the Bitcoin blockchain. In contrast, standard NFTs typically store only the token’s metadata on-chain, with the actual artwork often stored on external platforms like IPFS or Web 2.0 cloud solutions.

Recursive inscriptions use the process of retrieving existing inscriptions to form new inscriptions, which are then chained together via a complex data call mechanism. 

As noted above, Ordinal inscriptions keep all of the data, including the inscribed content, directly on the Bitcoin chain. Due to Bitcoin’s block size limit of 4 MB, that’s the maximum you can inscribe onto a satoshi when creating a Bitcoin NFT. While 4 MB sounds ample for short textual data or ordinary 2D images, it quickly becomes very limiting if you need to inscribe longer videos, rich 3D animation or large blocks of programming code.

Rodarmor addressed this limitation in June 2023 when he introduced an exciting update to his original inscription technology — recursive inscriptions. When they’re created on the network, recursive inscriptions can reference content inscribed onto existing inscriptions on the chain. Using a reference to inscriptions created earlier, recursive inscriptions allow you to utilize more content per Bitcoin NFT. By chaining multiple inscriptions this way, you can potentially include a massive amount of data.

By doing away with the 4 MB size limit, recursive inscriptions open up numerous new opportunities and use cases on Bitcoin, such as rich 3D video and animation, 

 (DApps) utilizing embedded smart contract code.

Rodarmor’s idea for recursive inscriptions stems from the long-established concept of recursivity, familiar to many programmers. In programming, recursivity refers to the ability of a piece of code — e.g., a function block — to refer to itself and draw data from previous iterations of the code. The Ordinals creator made an ingenious observation that this concept can be eloquently applied to the process of creating an inscription-based token on Bitcoin.

When a new recursive Ordinal inscription is created, it includes a call to retrieve data from an earlier inscription’s content. In this way, multiple recursive inscriptions chained one after another can allow one Bitcoin Ordinal to utilize a large amount of data.

The critical aspect in this process is that the final inscription in such a chain doesn't have to fully import the data included in the other inscriptions; that would defeat much of the purpose of the entire recursive inscription concept. Instead, it can be designed to reference earlier data and execute some programming code contained in it in a lightweight and efficient way.

Let's consider an example of a large, high-resolution image that’s well over the 4 MB limit of ordinary, non-recursive inscriptions. Instead of including the image file or portions of it, an inscription could simply contain programming code that dynamically creates the image upon being retrieved from another inscription. By calling for and chaining together snippets of code from multiple inscriptions, you can construct the image, which could be several hundreds of megabytes or even gigabytes — all while not violating the cap of 4 MB per individual inscription token/satoshi.

Naturally, such lightweight, efficient code execution opens up opportunities not only for image construction but for other use cases that involve dynamic code execution. This creates opportunities for Bitcoin-based games, DeFi apps and other types of DApps currently facilitated by smart contract code on other blockchains.

While recursive inscriptions can channel on-chain data from previous inscriptions, referencing external content outside of the blockchain — referred to as 

 in the Ordinals protocol terminology — isn’t permitted. One important reason for this is that 

 data can introduce vulnerabilities to Bitcoin’s self-contained security mechanism. A file stored somewhere on a personal network, or even on a well-known Web 2.0 cloud solution, isn’t the best candidate to be part of a platform that prides itself on its security features.

Ordinal inscriptions, and in particular, recursive inscriptions, might be described as the most profound new feature of Bitcoin since the network’s launch in 2009. The key pros of recursive inscription technology are as follows:

However, while recursive inscriptions present exciting opportunities and potential use cases, there are also drawbacks associated with this major Bitcoin innovation. Some cons and risks of recursive inscriptions are as follows:

Recursive inscriptions open up myriad new opportunities in the Bitcoin ecosystem. The blockchain, which has primarily been known as a medium for crypto asset transfers and storage, could turn into a major smart contract hub rivaling Ethereum’s — and even into a gargantuan entertainment platform with games, movies, complex 3D animation and various DApps — in order to satisfy just about anyone’s tastes.

While some Bitcoin purists and idealists are skeptical about inscription technology, pointing out that it introduces elements that have never been envisioned for the network, recursive inscriptions don’t embody a concept that will be abandoned or forgotten. The work to transform Bitcoin from a boring transaction ledger into a large DApp, gaming and entertainment giant has started — all thanks to the arrival of recursive inscriptions.

Recursive Inscriptions: Elevating Ordinals to the Next Level

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Recursive Inscriptions: Elevating Ordinals to the Next Level

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