Over 112,000 Ordinals wallets stand eligible for an upcoming airdrop, marking a significant entry of crypto airdrops into the realm of Bitcoin.
Runestones, a Bitcoin Ordinals endeavor spearheaded by the pseudonymous Ordinals enthusiast and self-proclaimed NFT historian LeonidasNFT, is gearing up to distribute more than 112,000 runestones to wallets holding three or more inscriptions from the extensive array of over 2,300 collections within the Ordinals sphere.
Leading up to the event, Runestone Ordinal inscriptions are actively traded on the Solana-based OTC exchange, WhalesMarket, with prices ranging between $665 and $1,995.
Similar to NFTs, Ordinals Inscriptions serve as Bitcoin’s equivalent, allowing for the inscription of non-financial data onto the Bitcoin blockchain, spanning from images to text to videos. Each inscription is linked to an individual satoshi, the smallest unit of bitcoin.
Dubbed as a “fairdrop,” this initiative precedes the launch of Casey Rodarmor’s new protocol, Runes, expected in eight weeks. Runes aims to provide a UTXO-based alternative to the energy-inefficient BRC-20 token standard, leveraging the UTXO system to assign tokens to specific UTXOs, thereby facilitating a straightforward and efficient method for inscribing arbitrary data onto Bitcoin.
Once the Runes protocol goes live, each Runestone will transition into a Runes token.
According to Leonidas, the rationale behind Runestones is straightforward, focusing on the prevailing trend of “number go up” in blockchains today, with the most transparent form being non-utility meme coins. This aligns with the belief that the leading blockchain should host the premier meme coin, distributed via a substantial free airdrop to the most dedicated community.
The anticipation surrounding the airdrop extends beyond the potential financial gain, resonating with Rodarmor’s broader Web3 vision for Bitcoin. BTC serves as the base currency, complemented by Runes as fungible tokens, Rare Sats as semi-fungible tokens, and Inscriptions as NFTs, closing the loop within the ecosystem.
Eligibility for the Runestone airdrop entails holding a minimum of three inscriptions, excluding certain file types, and requiring inscriptions from block 826,600 onward. Cursed inscriptions, previously overlooked by the Ord indexer, also qualify for the airdrop.
Described as a “process” by its creator, Leonidas, Runestone reflects a commitment to innovation and community involvement, setting the stage for a transformative shift in the Ordinals landscape.
