Definition
An inscription is content recorded using the Bitcoin inscription convention associated with Ordinals. It can contain text, an image, or other data, commonly placed in a Taproot transaction's witness through a script structure that carries the content without executing it as ordinary instructions. Ordinals-aware software associates the inscription with a satoshi and tracks its movement according to its indexing rules. Bitcoin nodes validate the underlying transaction and script requirements, but they do not need to interpret the content as a collectible or enforce a marketplace's claimed value. Inscribing data consumes block space and requires transaction fees. The content's presence on-chain also does not establish copyright ownership, authenticity of an artist, or rights to an external asset. Careful wallet handling matters because ordinary spending can move the output associated with an inscription even when the user intended to preserve it.
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