Ordinals have introduced a new Bitcoin dimension by directly inscribing additional data in the blockchain, such as tokens or images. Their appearance has relaunched the debate on the use of network resources and the responsibilities of those who operate nodes. A Bitmex study analyzed these changes, highlighting the differences between the inscriptions of BRC-20 token and those based on images, and the way in which each impact Bitcoin in a distinct way.
In short
- Bitcoin has approximately 97.4 million ordinal registrations, including 92.5 million linked to the BRC-20 tokens.
- BRC-20 registrations total nearly 13.9 billion in weight units, compared to 8.9 billion for images, which benefit from the Taproot Witness reduction.
- Bitmex tests show a small positive link between ordinal size and verification speed, with R = 11 % when the option assumes Valid is deactivated.
BRC-20 activity and use of ordinal data
Bitcoin recorded approximately 97.4 million ordinal registrations. The vast majority (92.5 million) corresponds to BRC-20 tokens, compared to around 2.7 million for images. In volume of transactions, the BRC-20s dominate largely, while the images represent only a small part.
Regarding data use, the situation is more contrasted. Although less numerous, ordinal images occupy about 30 GB of space on the blockchain, is slightly more than the 27.8 GB allocated to all BRC-20 transactions. In other words, the BRC-20 tokens dominate in volume of transactions, but the images occupy a comparable place in the total size of the data.
Weight of nodes validation blocks and validation costs
The impact is also found in the weight of the blocks, the bitcoin indicator which assesses the treatment load necessary for a transaction. BRC-20 registrations represent approximately 13.9 billion in weight units, while images count for approximately 8.9 billion.
Bitmex researchers specify that images take advantage of Taproot Witness reduction : They are stored in a part which does not require signature verification, which lightens their validation. Conversely, BRC-20s operate as conventional Bitcoin transactions and require complete verification of signatures, thus adding an additional load for nodes.
Long-term concerns for nodes: BRC-20 and expansion of UTXO
A more sustainable concern for node operators concerns the rapid growth of all unat -spent transactions (UTXO). Between December 2022 and September 2025, this set increased from 84 million to 169 million admissions, mainly due to the BRC-20 tokens, each registration creating new outings which are added to the UTXO SET. This expansion increases the pressure on the nodes, in particular those who practice pruning (PRUNING) by removing the old blocks, but which must still keep the current state of the register.
Unlike the images, the BRC-20s do not benefit from the control reduction and paid higher costs for their space in the blocks. Since their launch, they have generated more than 5,000 BTC transaction costs, reflecting their economic weight. The images, for their part, consume more storage but come back cheaper by byte thanks to the control reduction.
Performance tests and impact of ordinals on nodes
To assess the real impact of ordinals on performance, Bitmex led an initial blockchain download test. The device was based on eight CPU cores, 8 GB of RAM, an SSD of a teraoctet and an internet connection to a gigabit, with Bitcoin Core version 29.1. The experiment made it possible to measure the speed of download and verification of the blocks, then to compare these speeds according to the quantity of ordinal data which they contained.
The results, considered partially inconclusive,, however, highlighted several trends:
- Statistical regressions have shown a positive correlation between a larger volume of ordinal data and a slightly higher verification speed, although the effect remains low and irregular;
- When the option Assumes Valid was deactivated, the positive relationship between the size of the ordinals and the speed of verification was reinforced. The researchers believe that this scenario is better reflecting reality, since most of the nodes check all the signatures once synchronized;
- The strongest correlation observed in the test has reached R = 11 %, which means that the size of the ordinals explains only a small part of the variation in verification speeds.
Bitmex concludes that major ordinal images do not provide obvious benefits to the network. They limit the space available for financial transactions while offering only a marginal advantage for node operators.
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