Bitcoin Ordinals Could Disappear in Future, Claims Developer

The Bitcoin blockchain network needs no special introduction as it has gained tremendous popularity due to its native namesake cryptocurrency token Bitcoin (BTC). In the several past months, the Bitcoin network was the talk of the town but not because of Bitcoin. The blockchain saw the emergence of Bitcoin Ordinal Inscriptions, an update that made it possible to produce NFT-like digital artifacts on Bitcoin’s blockchain. But a developer was seen criticizing Inscriptions, saying it exploited the Bitcoin network and could have no future ahead. 

Wu Blockchain reported that Bitcoin Core developer Luke Dashjr called out Inscription for exploiting a vulnerability on the Bitcoin blockchain network. The post further noted that the developer stated Ordinals as an attack on the Bitcoin network. 

Dashjr went on to X (formerly Twitter) on December 6 and blamed Inscriptions for exploiting a vulnerability in Bitcoin Core. The exploitation is resulting in spamming the blockchain network. 

The Bitcoin Core developer explained the vulnerability in the post stating that since 2013, Bitcoin Core had a limit for users to set upon extra data during transactions. Dashjr argues that Inscriptions “bypass this limit” by confusing the program code expected to keep the limit. 

Further, the developer added that the updates were intended to fix the vulnerability but it seems that Bitcoin Core is still going to be vulnerable in the v26 release. 

This bug was recently fixed in Bitcoin Knots v25.1. It took longer than usual due to my workflow being severely disrupted at the end of last year (v24 was skipped entirely). Bitcoin Core is still vulnerable in the upcoming v26 release. I can only hope it will finally get fixed before v27 next year, he added. 

Community With Different Takes on Bitcoin Inscriptions

It should be perhaps one of the few instances when someone from the developers’ community criticized the Inscriptions. Since its inception, the Bitcoin Ordinals have seen a massive surge in popularity and value. The broader crypto community treated the update as a revolution in the Bitcoin network and expected that the blockchain could now beat the smart contract-enabled blockchain networks like Ethereum (ETH). 

Now with the revelation of Dashjr, the discussions on Bitcoin Ordinal Inscriptions can see a fresh start. For instance, many social media users had concerns about what could be the potential result if future updates will fix the issue, and how Inscriptions are going to be affected. 

A user asked if the vulnerability is fixed, will it disappear Ordinals and BRC-20 tokens? And Dashjr responded, “Correct.” When asked by another user if Ordinals had these issues, why were they launched in the first place? To which, the developer responded “Nobody ever allowed ordinals. It’s been an attack on Bitcoin from the start.”

In summary, Dashjr claims that a bug fix could stop Bitcoin Ordinals and BRC-20 tokens from functioning on the Bitcoin network and solve the network congestion. Many Bitcoin maximalists were seen pushing back the idea of Ordinals on the Bitcoin network, after the revelations, it is yet to be seen where the journey of “Bitcoin NFTs” leads from here. 

Nancy J. Allen is a crypto enthusiast, with a major in macroeconomics and minor in business statistics. She believes that cryptocurrencies inspire people to be their own banks, and step aside from traditional monetary exchange systems. She is also intrigued by blockchain technology and its functioning. She frequently researches, and posts content on the top altcoins, their theoretical working principles and technical price predictions.