Bitcoin-based NFTs are quietly gaining ground even as broader interest in NFTs fades. Total NFT sales on Bitcoin have climbed to around $5.8 billion, placing the network third globally behind Ethereum and Solana, and ahead of Ronin, Polygon, and Flow. At the same time, Ordinal inscriptions on Bitcoin have surpassed 100 million, reaching more than 117 million by mid-January 2026.

Introduced in late 2022, the Ordinals protocol allows arbitrary data such as images and text to be inscribed directly onto individual satoshis without changing Bitcoin’s core protocol. While inscription activity peaked around the latest Bitcoin halving—generating an estimated $646 million in fees for miners—revenue from inscriptions has since declined.

Despite NFTs losing cultural prominence and retail hype, Bitcoin’s NFT market continues to post steady sales, with strong recent monthly growth. Rather than signaling a full NFT revival, Bitcoin’s rise reflects a quiet, sustained level of activity driven by ordinals and a narrower user base, even as market attention shifts elsewhere.