claude-dev-suite BRC-20
Token standard defined via JSON inscriptions. Created May 2023 by @domodata. Originally a "fun experiment", became massive ecosystem.
Mechanics
Each operation is a JSON inscription:
Deploy
{
"p": "brc-20",
"op": "deploy",
"tick": "ordi",
"max": "21000000",
"lim": "1000"
}
tick = 4-character ticker (case-insensitive). Once deployed, max
supply fixed.
Mint
{
"p": "brc-20",
"op": "mint",
"tick": "ordi",
"amt": "1000"
}
Each mint must respect lim and total max. First-come-first-served
until cap.
Transfer (two steps)
Step 1: inscribe transfer:
{
"p": "brc-20",
"op": "transfer",
"tick": "ordi",
"amt": "100"
}
Step 2: send the inscription to recipient. Receipt = balance moves.
State tracking
BRC-20 has no on-chain validation — it's an indexer convention. Each indexer must:
- Watch inscriptions for BRC-20 ops.
- Compute balances per address.
- Validate against
max/limconstraints.
Indexers must agree on rules (otherwise different indexers see different balances).
Major indexers
- OrdiScan — primary public indexer.
- UniSat — wallet + indexer.
- OKX — exchange-side.
- Magic Eden — marketplace with BRC-20 support.
Compared to other token standards
| Aspect | BRC-20 | Runes | Taproot Assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Activation | May 2023 | April 2024 (halving) | 2023 |
| Mechanism | JSON inscriptions | Native protocol op_returns | Client-side validation |
| State tracking | Off-chain indexer convention | Native (each rune is a UTXO commitment) | Client-side merkle |
| Efficiency | High overhead | Native, smaller | Smaller |
| Validation rules | Indexer-defined | Protocol-defined | Schema-defined |
Most agree: Runes > BRC-20 in efficiency. BRC-20 is "first-mover" but architecturally suboptimal.
Critique
- Off-chain validation = consensus uncertainty about what is "valid".
- First-mint-wins rewards bots over real users.
- High fees during deployment / minting frenzies.
Status
- Active ecosystem; many tokens exist.
- Trading volume on UniSat, OKX, Magic Eden, etc.
- Some migration to Runes underway (similar use cases).
Use cases
- Memecoins on Bitcoin.
- Loyalty / community tokens for projects.
- Trading vehicles within Bitcoin.
Common bugs
- Indexer disagreement on edge cases (e.g., simultaneous mints in same block, ordering rules).
- Stale balance display when wallet doesn't sync indexer state.
- Two-step transfer: forgetting step 2 (just inscribing transfer doesn't move funds).