Bitcoin has quietly become a major player in NFT sales, with cumulative volume reaching $5.8 billion and placing the chain third by total NFT sales. This ascent happened without the celebrity drops or retail frenzy that marked earlier NFT waves; instead, activity has been driven by on‑chain Ordinal inscriptions. At the same time, Ordinal inscriptions have grown to more than 117 million, underscoring substantial on‑chain usage even as broader attention to NFTs has waned.
Bitcoin NFT Sales Reach $5.8 Billion
By total sales, Bitcoin now sits in third place among blockchains for NFTs, behind only the top two networks. That $5.8 billion figure puts Bitcoin ahead of chains that recorded large NFT volumes earlier, including Ronin. The ranking demonstrates that significant NFT trading has migrated onto Bitcoin through Ordinals rather than through high‑profile marketing or celebrity endorsements.
Ordinal Inscriptions Surpass 100 Million
The Ordinals protocol was introduced by developer Casey Rodarmor on Dec. 14, 2022, and the first Ordinal inscription was minted two days later. Ordinal inscriptions place arbitrary data onto individual satoshis using the witness field of a Taproot transaction, producing on‑chain artifacts that can include images, text, or code. According to ordinal tracking sites, the chain hosted more than 117 million inscriptions as of mid‑January 2026, a milestone that reflects sustained technical adoption even as public hype cooled; debates over on‑chain data and transaction fields remain part of the broader conversation, see OP_RETURN 80-byte limit.
Impact on Bitcoin Miners
Data parsed from Dune.com indicates bitcoin miners have collected roughly $646 million in inscription fees, though that dataset carries an estimated undercount. The bulk of those inscription revenues was generated around the fourth halving and in the lead‑up to it, and miner income from inscriptions has since fallen relative to that peak. For miners, inscription fees were a noticeable revenue source at specific moments, but they have not sustained the same level of contribution after the halving period.
Bitcoin’s Quiet Rise in the NFT Market
Bitcoin’s NFT growth has unfolded without the typical fanfare: Ordinals drove on‑chain activity while mainstream retail interest moved elsewhere. The result is a quieter, steady layer of digital collectible usage on Bitcoin rather than a mass cultural revival. Some ecosystem moves around Ordinals signal continued niche interest, for example marketplace programs such as the Magic Eden buyback, but overall NFT conversation remains muted compared with prior cycles.
Why this matters
If you run mining hardware in Russia with anywhere from a single rig to a small farm, these developments have practical implications. Inscription fees produced meaningful income for miners around the fourth halving, so similar bursts can temporarily boost revenue; however, inscription income has dropped since that peak, making it an unreliable steady source. At the same time, Bitcoin’s position among top NFT chains shows demand for on‑chain artifacts persists, which can affect mempool fee dynamics and short‑term transaction markets.
What to do?
For a miner operating in Russia, the sensible actions are straightforward and low‑risk. Monitor your pool and node fee reports to see if inscription transactions intermittently raise fees, and include inscription fee trends when you evaluate monthly income. Keep mining software and wallet tools updated so you can respond quickly to short windows of higher fees, and follow primary Ordinals trackers to spot changes in inscription activity without relying on mainstream coverage.
FAQ
What drove Bitcoin’s NFT growth? Ordinal inscriptions, which attach data to individual satoshis via the witness field of Taproot transactions, are the main driver behind Bitcoin’s NFT activity.
How much have Bitcoin NFTs generated in sales? Bitcoin NFTs have recorded about $5.8 billion in cumulative sales, placing the chain third by total NFT sales.
How many Ordinal inscriptions exist? The Bitcoin blockchain hosts more than 117 million Ordinal inscriptions as of mid‑January 2026.
Are inscription fees still a meaningful source of income for miners? Miners collected roughly $646 million in inscription fees overall, with the largest share generated around the fourth halving; fee contributions have since tapered compared with that peak.
