What is Bitmap?
In December 2022, Casey Rodamor created the Ordinals protocol, allowing data to be stored on the Bitcoin network. This revolutionary breakthrough meant that Bitcoin was no longer just a store of value. This upgrade enabled users to inscribe data on the smallest unit of Bitcoin, the Sat, creating a new asset class called Ordinal Artifacts. Bitmap belongs to this category of assets, permanently stored on the Bitcoin blockchain and unalterable by anyone.
The concept of Bitmap was proposed by Bitoshi Blockamoto in June 2023: each Bitcoin block is seen as a "digital district" in a virtual world, and each transaction within the block is seen as a "parcel" within the district. The specific data points and characteristics of each transaction determine the nature of the parcel. This means that each digital district is unique and "non-arbitrary" because it is generated based on different information on each block rather than being created out of thin air.
In the image below, we can see each transaction displayed as a parcel. The countless parcels, large and small, ultimately make up this bitmap.
It is an important application of the Digital Matter Theory (DMT) in the Bitcoin ecosystem and one of the many types of digital matter in DMT, existing in NFT form. In other words, Bitmap is the first non-arbitrary metaverse project in the Bitcoin ecosystem. It works by using Bitcoin blockchain data to construct a map of a digital world and providing users with the opportunity to participate in metaverse construction by transforming block data into virtual world landscapes.
Blockamoto describes his idea on his GitHub repo: “Bitmap is a consensus standard that allows anybody to claim the geospatial digital real estate of a Bitcoin Block. This process is achieved by being the first to inscribe blocknumber.bitmap unto a Satoshi using the Ordinals Inscription standard. This process is equitable and decentralized, transmuting any Bitcoin Block into a part of the Metaverse at the cost of energy. Platforms can parse this Block Data into the 3D realm and grant build access to block owners, creating a new paradigm for open-source development. Bitmap theory maps Bitcoins data landscape to spatial analogues, bringing to light the base substrate of a persistent Metaverse. To own a piece of the persistent Bitcoin Metaverse known as Bitmap, one must own a valid Bitmap land inscription through district-theory.mdand parcel-theory.md.”
What makes the data on Bitmap special?
Blocks on Bitcoin can be seen as a historical timeline, consisting of real-time transaction details and a permanent data string. This block data is extracted and parsed directly from the real-time mainnet data of Bitcoin Core.
As seen in the aforementioned image, each square represents a transaction with its own unique non-arbitrary resource string. Therefore, developers can consider Bitmap as the cornerstone when creating any full-stack application. By sharing such a static, foundational cornerstone, applications can achieve "interoperability" and cross-over utility. This allows users to maintain self-management of assets and identities while exploring different worlds in the metaverse.
How to own a Bitmap?
Any block on the Bitcoin blockchain can be inscribed with Bitmap. It follows the Ordinals theory and protocol. Only the first person to inscribe on the block is the owner of the Bitmap.
So how should we inscribe? After choosing a particular available block, copy its block number and add ".bitmap" to it (e.g., 800000.bitmap for the 800,000th block). Then, head over to an inscription service platform like UniSat or OrdinalsWallet. If you wish, you can inscribe multiple blocks simultaneously (as shown in the image below). Click "Next," complete the payment, and voila! Your inscription is successfully done.
It's important to highlight that Bitmap can only be inscribed on already mined blocks. At present, all mined blocks, totaling over 830,000, have been inscribed. To inscribe your own Bitmap, you'll need to wait for a newly minted block. Bitcoin typically mines a block every 10 minutes. While you might be eager to inscribe your Bitmap immediately, it's not advisable due to the presence of numerous bots also awaiting the opportunity. A more straightforward and viable option is to purchase Bitmap from a secondary market like Ordinals Wallet.
Why is Bitmap different from previous Metaverses?
Unlike metaverses like Decentraland or Sandbox, which are dominated by the originators or publishers behind them, Bitmap challenges traditional notions of ownership in the digital realm and aims to build a fully decentralized and community-driven society.
Blockamoto only proposes the inscription rules for Bitmap and is not responsible for the distribution of Bitmap. Participants need to inscribe and claim their Bitmap in accordance with these rules. The idea, proposed in 2023, is now increasingly accepted, with more than 800,000 mined blocks inscribed and claimed.
Bitmaps provide block owners with the opportunity to actively contribute to the virtual world. By owning a block, users gain a platform on which to build, fostering a vibrant and community-driven environment in the metaverse.
Huge potential of Bitmap
According to information from Ordinals Wallet, Bitmap is currently the second-largest traded asset on the platform (as shown below), with 2.86 BTC (approximately $208,761) traded in the past seven days.
Since Bitmap's inception, it has accounted for nearly 1,500 BTC in total trading volume on major platforms, with a floor price of 0.0035 BTC, a more than 100-fold increase from last year's minting cost. Although as the Bitcoin ecosystem continues to evolve, more and more projects have joined in, stealing Bitmap's limelight, but its potential cannot be underestimated.
Since the birth of Bitcoin in 2009, more than 830,000 blocks have been mined, containing corresponding over 830,000 bitmaps. If we think of bitmaps as the basis of a decentralized global metaverse, and everyone should have one, then they are indeed very scarce, as there are approximately 10,000 people sharing one bitmap right now.