Bybit Double-Win is a non-principal-protected, short-term structured product designed to allow traders to hedge against market volatility. Learn more here.

As digital currencies continue to reshape the global financial landscape, 

 remains a consistent challenge. The volatile nature of the crypto landscape often leaves investors searching for effective strategies to protect their investments. 

 against unpredictable market movements is crucial — and that's where Bybit Double-Win comes into play. In this article, we'll delve deep into this innovative solution designed to navigate the tumultuous waves of the crypto market.

 is a non-principal-protected, short-term 

. It's crafted to allow traders to benefit from market movements that sit outside a predetermined range. If a settlement price at expiration lies within this range, the investment doesn’t yield returns. Conversely, if the price moves outside the range, traders stand to gain.

The allure of Bybit Double-Win lies in its potential for significant profit if a settlement price ventures outside the established range. However, it's crucial to note the high-risk nature of this product. If the price remains within the range, traders risk losing their entire investment. 

Alison channels 100 USDT into a BTC Double-Win plan when BTC is priced at 27,000 USDT. She defines the Double-Win Range as +/− 200 USDT (spanning 26,800 USDT to 27,200 USDT), predicting heightened market volatility soon. 

Three potential outcomes arise at expiration:

In both of these winning scenarios, Alison retrieves her initial investment complemented by leveraged returns.

In this case, Alison’s entire investment is forfeited.

There are various benefits to using Bybit Double-Win. Below are three of its key advantages.

One of the standout features of Bybit Double-Win is its capacity to finalize transactions in a remarkably short time frame. While traditional investment avenues might require days (or even weeks) to settle, Bybit Double-Win can conclude settlements in as little as eight hours. This rapid turnaround time ensures that traders can swiftly capitalize on market movements, making timely decisions without being bogged down by prolonged waiting periods.

 of up to 500x. This means that traders have the potential to magnify their returns exponentially. Since Bybit Double-Win offers such impressive leverage, traders have commensurate potential to magnify their returns. 

However, it's essential to understand that this leverage is influenced by several factors.

While higher leverage can amplify potential profits, it also comes with increased risks. Traders should approach this feature with caution, fully grasping both the associated risks and the factors that can influence leverage. 

The cryptocurrency market is renowned for its volatility. Prices can skyrocket or plummet within short intervals, making crypto both an opportunity and a challenge for traders. Bybit Double-Win is specifically designed to thrive in such environments since it offers a variety of preset ranges. This allows traders to set boundaries that align with their market predictions.

Whether anticipating a significant price surge due to a major industry announcement, or expecting a drop due to external economic factors, Bybit Double-Win provides the flexibility to set a range that mirrors these expectations. This tailored approach ensures that traders can strategize effectively — even in the most unpredictable market conditions.

Like all financial products, Bybit Double-Win comes with its set of risks. Market volatility can lead to significant losses, so it's essential for traders to be aware of the potential downsides and to employ 

Unlike some other financial instruments, Bybit Double-Win isn’t principal-protected. This means that there's a possibility of losing the entire amount invested. As mentioned above, if the settlement price of the asset remains within the Double-Win range set by the trader at the time of expiration, the entire investment is forfeited. It's crucial for traders to understand this inherent risk before committing funds.

Another important aspect to consider is the finality of the Double-Win subscription. Once a user subscribes to a Double-Win plan, the decision is binding. The order cannot be modified, adjusted or canceled under any circumstances. This lack of flexibility means that traders need to be absolutely certain of their decisions before subscribing, as there's no turning back once the commitment is made.

While Bybit Double-Win offers the potential for significant returns — especially with its high leverage limits — it also comes with substantial risks. The possibility of losing the entire investment amount is real, especially if the market doesn't move as anticipated. As always, it's essential for traders to invest no more than they can afford to lose, and to approach Double-Win with a clear understanding of both its mechanics and associated risks.

Now that you know more about the fundamentals of Bybit Double-Win, here’s a detailed step-by-step guide on how to get started. Please note that you need to have an established Bybit account before you can proceed. 

: Log in to your Bybit account and hover your cursor over the 

tab on the navigation bar at the top of the page. Then, hover over 

button of the corresponding plan you would like to select.

 to estimate potential Profit and Loss (PnL) by entering the investment amount, selecting the double-win range, and indicating your anticipated market price of the underlying asset at a specific point in time.

: Indicate your investment amount and verify that all of the information is correct. Once verified, click on 

: Please ensure that you’re aware of the following: 

, you’ve successfully subscribed to the plan. 

If you’d like to view the details of your Double-Win orders, simply click on 

in the successful order notification pop-up window.

Alternatively, you can also follow the steps below if the pop-up window has disappeared.

button on the top right corner of the homepage and click on 

Ideal Circumstances for Using Bybit Double-Win

Bybit Double-Win shines brightest in specific market situations:

The cryptocurrency market is notorious for its unpredictable swings, often driven by news, rumors and external factors. In such a volatile environment, traders often seek tools that can help them safely negotiate these uncertain waters. Enter Bybit Double-Win — designed as the ultimate companion for turbulent markets. 

While Bybit Double-Win offers an exciting opportunity to profit from market volatility, it's essential for traders to assess their risk tolerance and investment goals before diving in. It's always recommended you start with a small amount, and gradually increase your exposure as you become more familiar with the platform.

Bybit Double-Win presents a novel approach to navigating the unpredictable cryptocurrency market. By offering traders the chance to profit from both rising and falling market scenarios, it stands out as a unique hedging tool. However, as with all investments, it's crucial to 

 and understand the associated risks before you decide to proceed.

Beginner

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Bybit Double-Win: Tailored Solutions for Volatile Market Hedging

Playbux (PBUX) is a gaming and metaverse platform that offers its users a wide variety of E2E opportunities.

 remains one of the hottest topics in the blockchain world, with a growing number of projects joining the quest to create the decentralized and unified 3D world of tomorrow. In its idealized form, the metaverse is still years away from us. It's most likely to evolve gradually from the myriad current metaverse-like environments on various blockchains.

Amid the spotlight of major metaverse projects, such as 

 (SAND), new platforms have emerged to help propel the metaverse toward a unified reality. Among these projects is Playbux (PBUX) — a metaverse environment that offers users a diverse range of crypto earning opportunities, such as play-to-earn (

), watch-to-earn, walk-to-earn and shop-to-earn, also collectively known as engage-to-earn (E2E) activities.

 (PBUX) is a decentralized gaming and metaverse environment based on the 

 that offers crypto users a variety of E2E opportunities — P2E, watch-to-earn, walk-to-earn and shop-to-earn — along with services such as lotteries and virtual space ownership. 

It aims to be an all-encompassing platform for crypto gamers and metaverse enthusiasts, allowing them to take full advantage of the fast-growing E2E trend, the more advanced progression of the simple P2E.

In the Playbux gaming environment, you are in control of your multi-feature NFT avatar, which can travel through the platform's metaverse, participating in games and taking part in various E2E activities. However, not all E2E activities offered by Playbux require the use of your NFT avatar. For instance, watch-to-earn is a service whereby your account earns rewards when you watch select content in the metaverse's theater area.

Playbux is currently in the pre-alpha stage, meaning that complete testing of the platform has yet to conclude before the release of the final version. However, users can already join the platform at its current stage, and Playbux's native crypto, PBUX, had its token generation event (TGE) on Apr 23, 2024.

When you first join Playbux, you complete a 

 (PoP) with a personalized NFT that entitles you to participate on the platform. The PoP NFT costs $1 and is tied to your wallet. A single wallet gives you the right to create up to three Playbux accounts.

To take full advantage of the diverse services offered by the Playbux platform, you can purchase an NFT avatar. A Playbux avatar, called a Bux, is made up of seven different parts/features, such as the hat, face, shirt and back (see below).

Using this avatar, you can participate in some of the E2E activities, explore the metaverse and play games with your avatar as the central character. For instance, the walk-to-earn feature allows you to earn rewards by taking your Bux on walks through the metaverse environment.

The Playbux platform offers users a comprehensive set of digital earning and gaming services. While there are over a dozen various services and E2E opportunities on Playbux, the major ones include shop-to-earn, walk-to-earn, watch-to-earn and multiple forms of P2E.

Playbux's Shop to Earn service offers users cashback credits for purchases made on diverse online and decentralized platforms. According to the project's documentation, Playbux 

 affiliated shops that provide cashback opportunities.

Users can later withdraw their cashback credits in 

. This is in contrast to many other crypto gaming platforms in which cashback credits or points are often limited to uses within the games, without users being able to withdraw their funds.

Walk to Earn allows you to accumulate rewards in various assets by walking your Bux avatar through the metaverse. By taking a specified number of steps within the gaming environment, you can earn weekly points. If you rank among the top 300 walkers each week, you can claim rewards that range from in-game NFTs, PBUX tokens and USDT to cashback credits and BRK tokens — another cryptocurrency used for rewards and purchases within the platform along with the main PBUX crypto.

Watch to Earn is another core E2E opportunity offered by the Playbux platform. By watching video content streamed in the theater section of the Playbux metaverse, you can earn rewards and prizes for your account.

Playbux's strategic partnerships include a collaboration with iQIYI, a leading Asian entertainment streaming provider, whose content is offered in the theater. iQIYI offers a variety of popular movies, anime, dramas and other video content with which its viewers can earn daily rewards by simply tuning in to the first episode of the series or movies. Thus, you won't need to watch some boring ads to earn points; the content on offer is highly popular and engaging. 

Additionally, Playbux employs technology that enables hyper-personalized recommendations, making your viewing experience even more exciting and relevant.

Earning crypto and NFT rewards via the classic P2E is also on the Playbux menu. Two games within the platform's metaverse can be used to accumulate rewards and win NFTs — 

. While the platform is currently in its pre-alpha stage, 

 is the only operational game, allowing you to “claw up” special NFTs from six different collections offered on Playbux.

 will provide an immersive experience within the metaverse's arcades. Players will be able to earn rewards in PBUX, BRK and other assets.

The Lotto Pool offers the opportunity to earn tokens from crypto projects that partner with Playbux. Points for participation in the lotteries are based on in-game NFTs and their 

 level. The rarer your NFT, the more lottery tickets you’ll earn, increasing your chances of becoming a lucky lottery winner.

While a variety of in-game assets are available on Playbux, the main NFT type is the Bux avatar, which you use to participate in the games and the majority of E2E opportunities available on the platform. Each Playbux avatar NFT comprises seven features that refer to body parts or garments worn by it: Hat, head, face, shirts, back, pants and shoes.

All of these features are purchasable on the platform, with different rarity ranks for each part. While there are four different rarity grades, the parts collections are split into two main NFT collections: Early Bird and Ultra. Early Bird consists of 160 pieces of NFT parts with varying rarity, while Ultra comprises 30 pieces. Capped at 10,000 NFTs, the Ultra collection is more valuable than Early Bird.

Playbux also offers the Compound NFT feature, which allows you to exchange a certain number of NFTs for a new one in order to upgrade to higher NFT rarity ranks.

The PBUX token is Playbux’s native cryptocurrency. It's used extensively for E2E, 

 and transaction processes on Playbux. Users earn PBUX tokens as rewards for participating in Shop to Earn, Watch to Earn, Walk to Earn, P2E and other E2E activities. The token can also be used to purchase in-game assets, NFTs and lotto tickets, as well as access to exclusive products and features.

The PBUX token has a maximum supply of 400 million, a useful deflationary feature that should support the Playbux price in the crypto trading market. Supply allocation shares for PBUX are per the table below:

The PBUX token is available on Bybit via a Spot pair with USDT (

). If you're new to Bybit, you can also take part in Bybit's Spot listing campaign that’s dedicated to the PBUX token for a chance to win a portion of the 

, available through May 7, 2024, 8:59AM UTC.

The crypto industry is moving beyond simple P2E models to more comprehensive and advanced forms of rewarding users. Devising a platform where users simply win in-game battles and receive points to spend on NFTs is no longer enough — at least within the competitive niche of crypto gaming.

A more diverse range of E2E products is the defining feature of the new iteration of blockchain gaming. Playbux, with its rich set of E2E services, is part of this new breed of crypto gaming platforms. What puts Playbux ahead of the rest in this niche is its sheer variety and sophistication of E2E opportunities on offer. In fact, the Playbux project team has delivered a product that might just become the pioneer and a trendsetter in the emerging category that’s coming to be known as diversified E2E providers.

Intermediate

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Playbux (PBUX): The Premier Destination for Next-Gen Entertainment

BEVM, a Bitcoin L2 network that’s fully compatible with the Ethereum blockchain, is the first fully decentralized EVM-compatible Bitcoin L2 to use BTC as gas.

 are the basis for a lot of blockchain apps and 

 projects. However, many people who build on these chains run into compatibility issues because Bitcoin and Ethereum cannot communicate with each other easily. BEVM hopes to solve this problem by becoming one of the first EVM-compatible Bitcoin networks. It also claims to offer users unparalleled network scalability and decentralization. Keep reading to learn about this revolutionary new project.

 is a Bitcoin Layer 2 network that’s fully compatible with the Ethereum blockchain. Developers who create projects with this decentralized system can simultaneously access features of both Ethereum and Bitcoin.

 is a type of scaling solution for the Bitcoin network. It processes transactions on the side, and then uploads the results to the main chain. A Bitcoin Layer 2’s ability to provide improved network scalability ultimately results in increased transaction speed and reduced fees.

The first issue that the BEVM network has tackled is Ethereum compatibility. Many 

 developers want to build on Ethereum because it's versatile and easy to use, but they also want the accessibility and reliability of Bitcoin. 

The BEVM project decided to design a system for cross-chain compatibility, creating a system with which people can build on Ethereum virtual machine (

) chains while still using BTC for gas fee payments. This capability will increase Bitcoin usage and help its network remain competitive in the face of so many Ethereum-based projects.

BEVM also hopes to distinguish itself by providing full decentralization. While some EVM-compatible Bitcoin projects do exist, they tend to be highly centralized. This stifles user creativity and leads to potential issues with centralization or excessive fees. By offering a decentralized BTC layer for Ethereum development, BEVM hopes to keep its system affordable, fair and available to everyone. 

Creating a system that can cooperate with multiple blockchains takes a lot of work. BEVM’s network relies on complex 

 and thoughtful coding to create a decentralized BTC layer that's also compatible with the EVM. Its platform is built on the 

, which sped up the Bitcoin network's transaction verification process. To provide users with a comprehensive set of development tools, the BEVM ecosystem runs four separate layers. 

This layer connects BEVM to Bitcoin, using Bitcoin 

 (PoS) consensus mechanism to ensure assets are handled in a fast, eco-friendly and decentralized manner. Bitcoin light nodes provide some of the primary ways to scale the system and speed up transactions. The cross-chain layer then takes data from BEVM and transmits it to Bitcoin while maintaining network security. By synchronizing 

, this layer provides full data integrity assurance.

BEVM's robust consensus mechanism also includes a separate layer for securing transactions on the BEVM ecosystem. The consensus layer uses Byzantine fault tolerance and threshold signatures to verify transactions and establish Bitcoin block headers. It operates on up to 1,000 consensus nodes, so the network isn't bogged down by large numbers of transactions.

The VM layer uses Substrate framework to maintain compatibility with the EVM. It ensures that all projects built on BEVM adhere to EVM protocols so that they run smoothly on a variety of Ethereum-based chains.

The DApp layer allows BEVM developers to access a variety of EVM development tools. It enables Ethereum ecosystem DApps that make it easier for developers to manage transactions, create user accounts and more. People can connect their projects to this layer to reduce the amount of time they have to spend designing basic items such as 

BEVM offers a wide range of features to its users. Whether you're interested in network security, complex smart contracts or 

Thanks to the BEVM mainnet, users have access to complete EVM-compatibility. Those who build on BEVM will ultimately end up with a DApp that runs on a Bitcoin Layer 2 network but can also communicate with the EVM. This enables Ethereum ecosystem DApps to provide services to Bitcoin developers, and vice versa. Such 

 ends up maintaining data integrity assurance while still allowing people to access a variety of networks and services.

One of the big selling points of the BEVM project is that it works with the Bitcoin Taproot upgrade. This system improved network scalability by changing the way transactions are authenticated. By integrating Bitcoin Taproot usage into its underlying structure, BEVM provides users with a secure, flexible way of confirming transactions. 

 for those interested in Ethereum or Bitcoin usage. You can use BEVM's native bridge, which trades the BEVM token and BTC, or the built-in third-party bridging systems, which allow users to 

BEVM started out as a fairly small project but has managed to attract some 

, including Waterdrip Capital, MH Ventures and ArkStream Capital. It's currently collaborating with Bybit Web3’s 

. Participants can claim a share of the substantial prize pool that exceeds $400,000 in TGE tokens. 

BEVM doesn't have an official road map, but its social media presence shows that its current focus is on gaining more community members. By doing so, the network can build more projects and better showcase the benefits of the BEVM ecosystem. It can also end up increasing Bitcoin usage by encouraging more people to use BTC as gas, and to build on the Bitcoin chain.

Will these plans for the future pay off? Only time will tell whether or not BEVM will become the next big cryptocurrency. However, this project does have excellent momentum right now, so it's likely that its airdrop with Bybit Web3 will attract a lot of users. As long as BEVM continues to produce quality products and attract users with its efficient marketing, it may become an essential part of the crypto ecosystem. There’s currently a need for EVM-compatible Bitcoin products, so BEVM may become an essential part of the Bitcoin ecosystem.

BEVM's unique blend of network scalability, interoperability and decentralization makes it an exciting project. As it transitions from a work-in-progress to being fully operational, there may be many opportunities for Bitcoin network enthusiasts to get involved. Make sure to keep this project on your radar and see how its airdrop affects the Bitcoin ecosystem.

If you would like to learn more about the project and claim rewards, check out the 

. We’re also having a Web3 livestream on May 8, 2024 on the biggest alpha from the Bitcoin economy. Stay tuned 

 where we covered trending Bitcoin Layer 2 projects.

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BEVM: The First Fully Decentralized EVM-Compatible Bitcoin L2

Mirror Staking Protocol, formerly called Mirror L2 before a rebrand, is a Bitcoin protocol that works with Layer 2 networks. Learn more in this article.

, staking is a helpful tool that helps secure the network while letting users earn passive income. However, despite being the most popular blockchain, Bitcoin doesn't feature staking. Mirror Staking Protocol aims to change this by incorporating staking into Bitcoin's design. How does it work, and why is it important? Explore this guide to learn the details of the Mirror Staking Protocol.

 is a Bitcoin protocol that works with Layer 2 networks. Formerly called Mirror L2 before a rebrand, the project allows people to stake Bitcoin in a secure, decentralized and reliable manner, and provides computing power for Layer 2 chains.

 networks run alongside Bitcoin. They use Bitcoin's ledger as their underlying framework, adding extra smart contracts and protocols that implement features not found on the main Bitcoin chain.

What Does Mirror Staking Protocol Aim to Achieve?

Mirror Staking Protocol aims to make Bitcoin more versatile. The main Bitcoin network is currently an excellent way of processing transactions, but it's missing some of the features of modern blockchains. Layer 2 networks hope to address this issue by offering services such as scalability and improved capabilities for smart contracts. However, designing a brand-new Layer 2 from scratch requires formidable technical abilities.

The Mirror Staking Protocol project hopes to step in and make Layer 2 design easier. It provides an essential support framework that Layer 2s can implement in order to add staked assets to their systems. Not only does this provide a helpful decentralized asset custody scheme, but Mirror Staking Protocol also hopes it will help Layer 2s process transactions more efficiently, 

Mirror Staking Protocol functions as a utility layer between the main Bitcoin chain and other Layer 2 networks. It uses a node system as its core mechanism to run its larger system. Mirror’s users individually manage thousands of nodes to provide full decentralization while offering the computing power needed to run the network. 

When Layer 2 projects choose to use Mirror Staking Protocol for its decentralized BTC staking solutions, they get the support of users to stake BTC through the Layer 2 network. The Layer 2 project then exchanges these BTC tokens for 

, and the nodes on Mirror Staking Protocol form a decentralized asset custody scheme in which they manage the Layer 2 project's BTC for them. 

Tokens that have been staked for assets acquire value over time. When users are ready to cash out, the Layer 2 can then trade the mBTC for BTC and distribute rewards to its users.

Layer 2 networks looking to offer more services to their customers can use Mirror Staking Protocol’s many helpful services to perform these tasks.

Overlapping Multi-Signature Groups Scheme

Layer 2s looking for a novel way of handling transaction verifications can employ Mirror Staking Protocol's overlapping multi-signature groups. This method of node management allows multiple nodes in a group to sign a transaction, offering greater security and efficiency for Layer 2 projects. People who choose to use this feature from Mirror Staking Protocol receive access to several perks.

The node election process consists of sets of five nodes. For every transaction, a majority of these nodes have to verify a transaction in order for it to be finalized. This provides extra security, since a single malicious actor can’t hijack the verification process.

In addition, groups of nodes end up forming overlapping groups. If validators from one group aren’t used, they can join together with unused validators from another group. By forming overlapping groups, Mirror Staking Protocol offers users faster and more scalable transactions.

Overlapping multi-signature groups also adjust in size based on transaction amount. Only three nodes are needed to finalize transactions of < 1 BTC, while transactions of > 1 BTC require more nodes. By downsizing node needs for small transactions, Mirror Staking Protocol reduces network needs during times when several small transactions are being processed.

Ultimately, Mirro’s node system provides fantastic security for staking funds. Layer 2s can offer Bitcoin staking to their users with full confidence that their funds are in safe hands.

Even if you aren't running a Layer 2, you can participate in Mirror Staking Protocol by assisting with node election. Node runners are elected by community members. Those who interact with the community and gain trust can win votes in order to manage a node. They then stake funds equal to 1 BTC to operate it. 

These funds act as collateral in case the node provider fails to verify transactions properly. Running a node provides the chance to earn additional income, because node operators earn 

 that let them buy a set amount of MIRR for a strike price of $0.12.

With Mirror Staking Protocol, other projects can participate in Bitcoin staking. Participants choose to temporarily lock their Bitcoin in 

 through the Mirror Staking Protocol ecosystem in order to earn passive income on these funds. When they choose to unlock their tokens and cash out their rewards, they reclaim their original funds along with additional interest earned on the BTC tokens.

 to make community decisions and manage its Bitcoin staking system. A total supply of 500 million tokens are distributed in the following manner:

Node rewards will be distributed over a 12-month period, while investor and team allocations will be unlocked in several rounds over the course of four years. Tokens allocated through the 

 will have a three-month waiting period before unlocking.

Mirror Staking Protocol has been working on the design of its system for a while, and in 2024 it's finally ready to start testing it. In March 2024, the Mirror Staking Protocol testnet went live.The project hopes to 

 after ensuring that the node election process and BTC bridging go smoothly.

Once Mirror Staking Protocol goes live, its main focus will be on bringing its decentralized BTC staking solutions to more networks. It hopes to attract more Layer 2 projects that want to stake Bitcoin by using its services. After building a bigger user base, Mirror Staking Protocol hopes to eventually enable staking of its mBTC token.

Mirror Staking Protocol is currently one of the Bitcoin Layer 2 projects in the 

. Participants can claim a share of a substantial prize pool that exceeds $400,000 in TGE tokens.

Mirror Staking Protocol provides a variety of helpful services for other Bitcoin projects. By enabling Bitcoin staking and node management, Mirror Staking Protocol makes it easier for Layer 2 projects to reward users and encourage earning passive income. The project is still in its early stages but it could have a lot of potential. Its upcoming airdrop and mainnet launch will be excellent opportunities for more users to get involved.

Learn more about the project and how you can claim rewards by checking out the 

. We’re also hosting a Web3 livestream on May 8, 2024, on the Bitcoin economy’s biggest alpha. Stay tuned 

, in which we cover trending Bitcoin Layer 2 projects.

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Mirror Staking Protocol: A Secure Bitcoin Staking Solution

Bitcoin

web3

Bitcoin runes is a new Bitcoin protocol streamlining fungible cryptocurrency issuance with its native UTXO transaction model. 

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Skinny_Banner-1600x400.webp

) blockchain was envisioned to support only one crypto asset — its native BTC cryptocurrency. Fast forward to early 2023, and a significant innovation has altered the landscape of the world's largest chain: 

. The brainchild of developer Casey Rodarmor, this protocol facilitates the direct creation of NFTs on Bitcoin in the form of 

Soon afterward, a new token standard that leverages the Ordinals protocol, 

, was introduced to enable Bitcoin-based fungible cryptocurrencies. BRC-20 has led to a surge in the number of new fungible cryptocurrencies on the network, nearly all of them 

Despite its innovative nature, the BRC-20 standard has attracted harsh criticism from many Bitcoin enthusiasts, partly due to its tendency to congest the network. Responding to these concerns, Casey Rodarmor unveiled a new groundbreaking solution in late 2023: Runes, a technology that facilitates the development of fungible cryptocurrencies on Bitcoin while addressing the inefficiencies of the BRC-20 standard.

The Runes fungible token protocol is scheduled to launch in April 2024 to coincide with the highly anticipated 

 event. Bitcoin Runes represents a significant milestone in the storied blockchain's history. It might unlock new use cases for Bitcoin-based fungible tokens — and create a vibrant new ecosystem on the chain.

The year 2023 proved to be an eventful one for the Bitcoin blockchain. First, in January 2023, developer Casey Rodarmor introduced a novel way of creating Bitcoin-based NFTs by attaching small bits of custom data, called inscriptions, to satoshis, the smallest units of which a Bitcoin is composed. The new technology, which Rodarmor named Ordinals, made it possible to create Bitcoin NFTs without any 

Just two months later, in March 2023, the pseudonymous developer Domo used the Ordinals technology to describe a method of creating fungible cryptocurrencies on Bitcoin. That’s how the BRC-20 fungible token standard was born. Domo warned that the new standard was still an experimental technology. Crypto enthusiasts and developers, however, aren’t particularly known for being taken aback by warnings, and within months of the standard’s introduction, hundreds of BRC-20 tokens emerged on Bitcoin.

Unfortunately, the BRC-20 standard is an inefficient and complex way to create cryptocurrencies on Bitcoin. To address the critical drawbacks of BRC-20, Rodarmor proposed a new fungible token protocol: Bitcoin Runes.

Runes introduces a highly efficient method for creating fungible tokens that demand fewer resources than the BRC-20 standard. This efficiency is primarily achieved due to the protocol's use of Bitcoin's native unspent transaction output (

) model for creating and managing fungible assets.

In general, when any transaction between two addresses occurs on Bitcoin, the transfer amount is sent to the recipient's address as an unspent output — an amount available to be spent for future transfers. Every Bitcoin address balance is also maintained in the form of these unspent transaction outputs. This system of transferring and maintaining balances as unspent output of future transactions — the UTXO model — is what distinguishes Bitcoin from many other blockchains, including Ethereum (

). It’s this UTXO model on which the Runes protocol bases its method of creating fungible cryptocurrencies.

Upon the creation of a Runes token, it’s assigned to a specific UTXO through a simple protocol message. A single UTXO can hold any amount of Runes token balances, and the UTXO is used to track the Runes balances directly. As a result, Runes impose a much lighter load on the network, as compared to BRC-20 tokens. Moreover, the minting process for Runes-based tokens is considerably easier than the intricate procedures involved in creating BRC-20 tokens.

BRC-20 tokens have faced ferocious criticism right from the start for several reasons, including the heavy load they place on the network, the complexity of minting and managing them, and the proliferation of useless meme coins based on the standard. Probably the number one criticism relates to the network bloat these tokens create. The way BRC-20 tokens are issued and managed leads to many "junk" UTXOs clogging up the network.

 in a blog post, introducing the Runes protocol with the hope of resolving the main issues associated with the BRC-20 standard.

In the same post, Rodarmor announced his intention to unveil Runes around the time of the 

 event, projected to occur on or around Apr 15, 2024. It’s anticipated that the first Runes-based native token will emerge, courtesy of Rodarmor’s own efforts, right at the next mined block following the halving event. As of the time of this writing (March 20, 2024), no Runes tokens officially associated with its protocol have been launched.

As noted above, Runes relies on Bitcoin's native UTXO transaction model to create and manage fungible cryptocurrencies. Consequently, the core operations related to these crypto assets — issuance, transfers and storage — are all carried out efficiently, with a relatively light load on the underlying Bitcoin blockchain.

To create or transfer Runes tokens, the protocol assigns messages to UTXOs via OP_RETURN — a function used to store transactional information on Bitcoin. Recall that a UTXO is simply the output of a Bitcoin transaction, which is stored at an address on the network.

When issuing a Runes token, the message sent via the protocol must contain two fields —SYMBOL and DECIMALS. The SYMBOL field defines the ticker for the new Runes cryptocurrency. It can only accept letters, A to Z, with no numbers or special characters permitted. If the ticker has already been reserved, the transaction will be rejected. The DECIMALS field specifies the decimal precision for the new token.

For Runes transfers, the message assigned to a UTXO must contain three fields — ID, OUTPUT and AMOUNT. ID is the identifier of the token being sent, OUTPUT designates which UTXO the token is being sent along and AMOUNT indicates the actual transfer amount.

In addition to these fields, the OP_RETURN message data must include an uppercase R in order to signal to the network that this is a Runes transaction.

The OP_RETURN message data assigned to a UTXO is all that Runes tokens require in terms of data storage. Thanks to this messaging system, which is integrated into Bitcoin’s native UTXO model, Runes produces a very modest impact on the network.

The Runes protocol inevitably draws comparisons with the other method of creating fungible cryptocurrencies on the Bitcoin network — the BRC-20 token standard.

Upon its launch in early 2023, BRC-20 was regarded as a significant innovation, the first technology to enable fungible crypto assets directly on Bitcoin. This token standard relies on the Ordinal theory as described by Casey Rodarmor at the launch of the Bitcoin Ordinals protocol. Rodarmor noted that each satoshi on the Bitcoin network could be uniquely traced by the chronological order in which it’s been mined. He also introduced a way of attaching custom data to a satoshi using the protocol. 

The Ordinals protocol ushered in an era of 

. While Ordinals are primarily geared toward the creation of NFTs, the BRC-20 experimental token standard is based on the adaptation of the protocol to allow the issuance of fungible crypto assets.

In contrast to the Runes protocol, BRC-20 doesn’t utilize Bitcoin's native UTXO model to facilitate token operations. As a result, the process of issuing and managing BRC-20 tokens has produced a considerable volume of redundant UTXOs generated on the Bitcoin chain. This has led to significant network congestion, observed by many Bitcoin users since the arrival of the first BRC-20 tokens.

However, the load on the network isn’t the only feature that distinguishes the Runes protocol from the BRC-20 standard (although this is probably the most impactful difference between the two technologies). BRC-20 also features a complicated process of creating and managing crypto tokens, whereas Runes is a relatively straightforward technology. In theory, any Bitcoin user can issue a BRC-20 token directly on the Bitcoin blockchain. However, the process is quite technically involved for most ordinary users. As a result, many BRC-20 token issuers have to rely on third-party tools to create and manage their assets.

Additionally, Runes provides another critical advantage over BRC-20 — direct compatibility with 

 protocol for Bitcoin scalability. Lightning Network facilitates fast and cost-effective Bitcoin transactions, and Runes-based assets achieve compatibility with it by utilizing the OP_RETURN messaging data, the key component of a Runes transaction.

Runes is an essential step in the development of a fungible asset ecosystem on Bitcoin. It all started with the introduction of the BRC-20 standard. Now, Runes is shaping up as the next phase of this critical development. The great thing is that the protocol brings transaction efficiency, user-friendliness and compatibility to Bitcoin's UTXO system — features that BRC-20 tokens sorely lack. 

The Runes protocol's advantages could lead to the emergence of critical use cases over the coming months and beyond. 

First, Runes has the potential to establish an ecosystem of functionally useful cryptocurrencies on Bitcoin. While the BRC-20 standard facilitates the creation of numerous tokens on the chain, nearly all of them are meme coins, with no practical applications beyond jokes, humor or crypto-themed satire. 

In contrast, the lightweight nature of Runes tokens and transactions could facilitate the development of payment systems and solutions directly on Bitcoin. By encouraging such payment activity, these solutions could open up opportunities for substantial transaction fee revenue, in addition to other benefits for operators willing to leverage Runes technology.

Secondly, the integration with Lightning Network and other Layer 2 Bitcoin scalability solutions might see Runes tokens being used for cost-effective asset transfers via these platforms.

Bitcoin Runes: A New Era for Fungible Tokens on Bitcoin

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