Ethereum inscription: An emerging way of creating digital art

Ethereum inscription ( Ethscriptions ) is a new way to create and share digital artworks on Ethereum, utilizing the calldata of transactions to achieve this. Compared to traditional NFTs, this method is more economical and decentralized. Traditional NFTs typically rely on data stored in specific smart contracts, which may be controlled by a single entity.

Ethereum inscriptions draw inspiration from Bitcoin inscriptions, while also being influenced by prototype inscriptions in Ethereum transactions. Unlike Bitcoin ordinals, Ethereum inscriptions do not require running a full node to sync data, making them easier and faster to use. Additionally, compared to Bitcoin wallets, the public is more familiar with Ethereum wallets.

inscription Working Principle

• Any successful Ethereum transaction, where the input data ( interpreted as UTF-8) is the only valid data URI, will create an inscription. All valid MIME types are supported.
• For a URI, uniqueness means that previous blocks or earlier transactions in the same block cannot have the same content.
• Any Ethereum transaction, the input data of which is the transaction hash of a valid inscription, and the transaction sender is the owner of the inscription, shall be regarded as a valid inscription transfer.

Creating Inscription Method

1. Upload images through the official website ( up to 96KB ) for one-click minting.

2. Manual operation steps:

   • Use online tools to convert the image ( to a Base64 encoded data URI with a maximum size of 90KB ).
   • Convert data URI to hexadecimal format
   • Send a transaction of 0 ETH to the target address, filling in the converted data in the "Hexadecimal Data" field.
   • After the transaction is successful, the inscription will be displayed on the official website's "My Inscription" page ( provided that the content has not been inscribed again ).

Transfer Inscription

• Find the ID of the inscription to be transferred ( and create the transaction hash for that inscription )
• Send a transaction of 0 ETH to the recipient, filling in the inscription ID in the "hexadecimal" field.

inscription tracking

Currently, you can check the latest minted inscriptions through the official website or use the indexer. The official indexer has not been open-sourced, and users can obtain historical data from BigQuery and access real-time data through the Alchemy API.

Community members have also built an Ethereum inscription panel on Dune, which can be used to query related inscription information.

Founding Team

The Ethereum inscription protocol was developed by Tom Lehman(Twitter:@dumbnamenumbers). Tom is the co-founder and CEO of Genius, a company that has received $15 million in funding from A16Z.

Latest Update

Founder Middlemarch announced the following updates on June 20:

1. Inscription Number: Displays the numerical order of creation.
2. Rewrite the indexer: Ensure stable and consistent numbering
3. Double Check: The page automatically checks if the content has been inscribed to avoid invalid inscriptions.

Ether inscription ecosystem

• EthereumPunk: The first collection of Ethereum inscription projects, sold out quickly.
• Tokenization attempts: such as $eths, $gwei, $fomo, etc., similar to BRC-20 tokens
• Historical inscription: such as information related to Satoshi Nakamoto

Summary

The emergence of Ethereum inscriptions has enriched the blockchain ecosystem, providing users with new ways to create and engage in digital art. Despite the controversies, the advent of new things always stimulates thought and drives industry development. Whether it's innovation or speculation, Ethereum inscriptions bring new possibilities to the blockchain world.