Data protocols, Ordinals, Runes, and BitVM

Analyze protocols built from Bitcoin transaction semantics.

Follow these 7 lessons in order, or choose the topic you need. Each lesson combines an explanation, a worked example and practice inside the Guild.

1. OP_RETURN and data commitments

   OP_RETURN outputs carry provably unspendable data but do not themselves enforce later spending conditions.

   35 minutes · Open lesson

2. Ordinals and inscriptions

   Ordinal theory assigns ordering conventions to satoshis while inscriptions use witness envelopes interpreted by off-chain indexers.

   45 minutes · Open lesson

3. Runes

   Runestones encode fungible token operations whose meaning is reconstructed by compatible indexers; cenotaph behavior supports upgrade semantics through burns.

   55 minutes · Open lesson

4. Indexer consensus

   Meta-protocol users depend on deterministic off-chain interpretation and must understand divergence and reorg handling.

   65 minutes · Open lesson

5. BitVM

   BitVM-style systems use commitments, challenge games, and Bitcoin-enforced disputes to verify computations without adding general execution to consensus.

   35 minutes · Open lesson

6. Client-side validation

   Some protocols keep rich state off chain while using Bitcoin commitments and proofs to constrain valid transitions.

   45 minutes · Open lesson

7. Policy and resource debates

   Data protocols affect fees, relay policy, UTXO growth, miner incentives, and social arguments about block-space use.

   55 minutes · Open lesson