Trouble In Paradise: BRC-20 Creator and UniSat Clash Over Ordinals Protocol Upgrade

Trouble In Paradise: BRC-20 Creator and UniSat Clash Over Ordinals Protocol Upgrade
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Key Insights

  • BRC-20 creator Domo and popular wallet service UniSat have just clashed over proposed upgrades to the BRC20 protocol.
  • The fork would split BRC-20 into two versions, one adhering to the new Ordinals Jubilee update and the other remaining on version 0.9.
  • Multisig, atomic swaps, smart contracts, and increased scalability are among the features promised by the fork.
  • Domo considers the fork "reckless" and worries about potential harm to the BRC20 ecosystem due to rushed implementation.
  • BRC-20 indexers will vote on the fork proposal between January 15th and 31st, 2024, with the Jubilee update scheduled for February 1st, 2024

Ever since the creation of Bitcoin Ordinals and the sub-protocols built on top of it, there have been endless back-and-forth arguments.

These arguments typically happened between pro-Ordinal supporters and people who referred to them as "blockchain spam" throughout 2023.

However, it now appears that there is some friction within the Ordinals camp, as the BRC20 creator and Unisat clashed on Twitter, about the best way forward for the Ordinals Protocol.

Here Is Some Context

BRC-20 tokens have been hailed as one of the most significant innovations in Bitcoin's history, as they enable new use cases and applications for Bitcoin.

BRC20 tokens have become so popular, that as of the time of writing, the total market cap of BRC20 tokens is $3.6 billion, according to CoinMarketCap.

A developer who goes by the Twitter username, "Domo" built the BRC-20 token standard in March 2023, drawing inspiration from Casey Rodarmor's Ordinals protocol in January 2023.

Domo is also the founder of BRC20 Indexer, a service that tracks and validates BRC-20 transactions on the Bitcoin blockchain.

On the other hand, we have UniSat, a popular wallet service that supports BRC20 tokens, and allows users to generate, store, and transfer BRC-20 tokens.

This, however, is where things get muddy.

The Fork That Caused A War

UniSat Wallet announced on January 2, 2024, that it will suggest a fork in the BRC20 protocol.

This fork, according to UniSat, will split the BRC-20 protocol into two identical halves, except that the more recent token standard would come with many improvements and additions.

The new and exciting fork
The new and exciting fork

In essence, UniSat's fork aims to detach the assets of BRC20 version 0.9 from the planned Ordinals Jubilee upgrade scheduled for deployment in February 2024 and will bring in new features like multisig, atomic swaps, and smart contracts.

UniSat's fork will also increase the token standard's scalability while still being consistent with the BRC-20 community's mission.

Additionally, according to UniSat Wallet, users will be able to select which version of the wallet to use, and the fork will not impact currently held BRC20 tokens.

These upgrades seem interesting enough at a glance. However, Domo, the creator of the BRC-20 token standard was not impressed.

Domo Kicks Against BRC-20 Upgrades

In a lengthy response tweet to UniSat, Domo argued that the fork proposal is "reckless and irresponsible", as it could cause confusion, fragmentation, and security problems for the BRC-20 ecosystem.

Domo further notes that the Ordinals Jubilee update may introduce problems and vulnerabilities to the BRC-20 protocol because it has not been thoroughly tested and certified.

Domo also claims that to guarantee a safe and orderly transition to the new update, the BRC-20 community will need to take more time to plan things.

So far, the BRC-20 community remains divided, with some developers in support of UniSat Wallet's plan and others in favour of Domo's position.

The BRC-20 indexers are expected to cast a vote on the fork proposal, with the authority to approve or disapprove the suggested modifications.

Overall, the period for voting is set for January 15, 2024, through January 31, 2024. Should the fork proposal be accepted, the Ordinals Jubilee update will be released on February 1, 2024, which is when it will go into effect.

Disclaimer: Voice of Crypto aims to deliver accurate and up-to-date information, but it will not be responsible for any missing facts or inaccurate information. Cryptocurrencies are highly volatile financial assets, so research and make your own financial decisions.

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