What Are Bitcoin NFTs? A Reference Guide to All Three Protocols
Counterparty, Ordinals, and Bitcoin Stamps are the three protocols that handle non-fungible assets on Bitcoin in 2026. The reference starting point.
Every reference piece in order, newest first. Each article is sourced to the protocol documentation, the people who built it, or the on-chain record itself.
Counterparty, Ordinals, and Bitcoin Stamps are the three protocols that handle non-fungible assets on Bitcoin in 2026. The reference starting point.
A decade before Ordinals existed, Counterparty was already issuing non-fungible assets on Bitcoin. How it worked, why it still works, and why most NFT histories skip past it.
Casey Rodarmor's protocol, launched January 2023. How inscriptions actually work, what BRC-20 added, and why Bitcoin's chain size has been a contested topic since.
Mike In Space's March 2023 protocol. UTXO-based, unprunable, 24x24 pixel hard limit. What it does that Ordinals doesn't.
From the Counterparty launch in January 2014 to the Magic Eden exit in February 2026. The full timeline with dates verified against contemporaneous reporting.
Side-by-side comparison of the three Bitcoin NFT protocols. Architecture, permanence, cost, community. No marketing, just the actual differences.
In February 2026, Magic Eden announced it was shutting down its Bitcoin NFT marketplace. What that means for the ecosystem, the alternatives, and the cycle this caps.
Different protocols need different wallets. A practical breakdown of what works for Counterparty assets, Ordinals, and Stamps in 2026.
Where to buy, how to verify, common scams to avoid. A practical guide for anyone new to Bitcoin NFTs.
UTXO model vs account model. On-chain content vs off-chain references. The architecture differences that make Bitcoin NFTs behave differently from anything on Ethereum.