Bitcoin Art: 14 Artists & Collections You Should Know

Bitcoin art has become an essential part of Bitcoin culture, thanks to the emergence of crypto collectibles and digital art secured by Bitcoin. 

In this guide, you will discover the talented artists and prominent collections contributing to the Bitcoin NFT ecosystem in their own creative ways. 

What Is Art on Bitcoin?

Art lives on Bitcoin as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) either inscribed on the base layer using the Ordinals protocol or minted on Bitcoin layers like Stacks. 

An NFT is a unique digital asset representing ownership of virtual items like in-game skins, digital art, photographs, videos, music, or real-world assets (RWAs) like real estate and sports collectibles. 

One of the most popular use cases of NFTs is digital art. 

The first Bitcoin art NFTs emerged in 2016 before the term “NFT” was coined when the Rare Pepes 36-series collection was launched. This collection was built on Counterparty and consisted of funny images inspired by the Pepe the Frog meme.

Rare Pepe depictions span diverse categories, such as prominent figures, crypto, hip hop, Japanese, comic books, Pokemon, gaming, and politics.

Art NFTs that followed after 2016 were primarily minted on Ethereum, which led to the NFT hype of 2021.  

However, development in the Bitcoin ecosystem has brought NFTs back to Bitcoin over the last few years, and now the Ordinals protocol is enabling Bitcoin-native digital art NFTs, also known as inscriptions or digital artifacts. 

From Generative Art to Meme-Inspired Wizards: Here’s What Type of Art You Can Find on Bitcoin

Bitcoin artists have dropped a broad spectrum of digital art on Bitcoin thanks to the emergence of the Ordinal protocol. 

Presently, some of the top Ordinals NFT collections in the market are Ordinalz Maxi Biz (OMB), On Chain Monkey (OCM) Dimensions, Taproot Wizards, and Pizza Ninjas, which we highlight below. 

Ordinalz Maxi Biz

‍Ordinalz Maxi Biz (OMB) is an Ordinals NFT collection featuring sketched figures with different colored eyes, each figure having its own unique traits. The collection was a collaborative effort between zk shark, Nullish, and Tonny Tafuro. Currently, there are 2,100 OMBs available for purchase. 

OCM Dimensions

‍OCM Dimensions is a collection of 3D generative art rendered from code by NFT company Metagood. The first mint was composed of 300 NFTs and is the first recursive ordinal inscriptions-based digital art collection. 

Taproot Wizards

‍Taproot Wizards are a collection of 2,106 wizards drawn with different attributes that are unique to each NFT. The collection was created by Eric Wall and Udi Wertheimer and pays homage to Bitcoin being ‘magical internet money.’

Bitcoin Punks

‍Bitcoin Punks have been termed as “the first byte-perfect uploads of the original Ethereum CryptoPunks onto the Bitcoin Blockchain using Ordinal theory.” They are modeled after the original CryptoPunks collection but on the Bitcoin blockchain. When Bitcoin Punks launched, it was the first Bitcoin NFT collection with 10,000 items.

BTC Machines

BTC Machines, a household name among ordinal enthusiasts, pioneered the airdrop meta by distributing over 250,000 ordinals to the Ordiverse. In less than a year, BTC Machines established themselves as a unique Bitcoin-native global brand, creating over 30 impressive art collections, developing an innovative MMORPG project called Satoria, music releases, IRL meetups and fostering a vibrant community of over 40,000 members.

Quantum Cats 

Quantum Cats is an Ordinals project created by Taproot Wizards. The Ordinals art collection consists of 3,333 images of cats inscribed on the Bitcoin protocol using Evolve Inscriptions. 

The Quantum Cats collection features different patterns and styles and is a tribute to OP_CAT, a code created by Satoshi Nakamoto during Bitcoin’s first release and later dropped in 2010. The artwork is expected to have evolutionary stages, with new attributes and traits, as the OP_CAT movement advances. 

Bitcoin Puppets 

Bitcoin Puppets is another Bitcoin Ordinals collection made up of 10,001 hand-drawn MS Paint monkeys involved in various activities. The collection was created to poke fun at other well-known projects, such as Bitcoin Frogs, and has no roadmap. 

Pizza Ninjas

The Pizza Ninjas Bitcoin art collection comprises 1,500 Profile Picture (PFP) designed for X (formerly Twitter). The collection features different Ninjas inscribed on exotic pizza sats, with each having different traits that change with Bitcoin’s block height. 

Pizza Ninjas was designed to be distinctive, memorable, and ‘to radiate a collective energy when in the company of other Ninjas.’

NodeMonkes  

The NodeMonkes Bitcoin Ordinals collection is made up of 10,000 unique images. Each image features an odd-looking block that’s squeezed together to create a wide range of characters, from ducks to monkeys. 

Twelvefold

Created by Yuga Labs, TwelveFold is an experimental collection consisting of 300 generative art pieces inscribed on Bitcoin. The collection is a complete limited-edition art project that doesn’t have any other utility and isn’t associated with any past, current, or ongoing projects by Yuga Labs. 

In addition to the wide range of art NFT drops you can find in the Bitcoin ecosystem, there are also individual Bitcoin artists who are making waves. Let’s look at some of the most prominent ones next. 

Notable Bitcoin Artists Making Waves in the Digital Art Scene

Now, let’s look at a handful of artists who’ve made Bitcoin their canvas. 

Billy Restey

Billy Restey is a digital artist from Seattle with four Bitcoin Ordinals collections trading on Magic Eden and Gamma. These collections include Metablocks, Cypherglyphs, Ordinal Shards, and Striations, each with a total supply of 400, 256, 100, and 3 inscriptions. 

Out of the four collections, Cypherglyphs has the highest trading volume, which currently stands at 9.9 BTC. Restey specializes in AI, generative, and 3D art.

Superama 

Superama is a Latin American artist whose journey has been one filled with vibrant exploration of self-expression and empowerment. 

Satoshi is Female is a Bitcoin art created by Superama. The artwork incorporates augmented reality (AR) and is a representation of the creativity and strength of Latin American Women, blending their rich cultural narratives with the innovation of digital art.

YuZapata

YuZapata is a Latin American artist who created the artwork Orange Fruit Dove. Orange Fruit Dove represents a bird species in the pigeon family native to Fiji Island. The artwork depicts a minimalistic street art style while evoking calm and peace. 

How to Create Bitcoin Art Using Xverse

Want to create your own art on Bitcoin? No problem! You can use Xverse and the Gamma marketplace to turn your creative ideas into Bitcoin art. 

Here’s how it works: 

Choose a Bitcoin Art Marketplace

It’s impossible to talk about creating Bitcoin art without first choosing an appropriate marketplace to inscribe or mint your digital art.

Although there are numerous platforms that you can use to inscribe art on Bitcoin, we recommend using the Gamma, which we’ll be using for this guide. The platform supports Ordinals and NFTs on Stacks and has a strong focus on individual artists. 

Set Up and Connect Xverse Wallet

Next, set up your Xverse wallet and connect it to the Gamma marketplace. 

To set up your Xverse wallet, visit the Xverse website and download Xverse for Android, iOS, or Chrome. 

For this guide, we’ll download the Xverse wallet on an Android device. Go to your Google Play store, search for the Xverse wallet, and click ‘Install.’ 

Xverse will prompt you to ‘Create a new wallet’ or ‘Restore an existing wallet.’ If you don’t already have an Xverse wallet, create a new one. 

Next, accept the ‘Terms of Service’ and ‘Privacy Policy,’ then back up your wallet by clicking ‘Back up now.’  Next, write down the 12-word secret phrase you used to recover and store your wallet securely. Xverse will then prompt you to select your preferred security mode, which will help add an extra layer of security to your wallet. 

And now your wallet is successfully set up. Next, go to Gamma.io, click ‘Connect Wallet,’ and choose ‘Xverse’ from the dropdown.

Next, connect your Xverse wallet. 

Once successfully connected, click on the ‘Create’ tab, select the option to ‘Create individual inscriptions,’ and click ‘Continue.’ 

Xverse will prompt you to sign the message displayed with your account details to prove you are the account owner and to access Gamma’s features. 

Create Your Inscription

Once you have successfully signed in, select your inscription type to create your inscription directly on the Bitcoin blockchain. 

Next, upload your image or text to continue.

Define Your Metadata

Select how you would like to inscribe and define the metadata for your image or text.

Next, select your transaction fee and click ‘Continue’. 

Copy the Recipient Address on Xverse

Next, you’ll need to confirm the address where the inscription will be sent. 

To copy this, go to your Xverse wallet, click on the collectibles tab, then the ‘Receive’ button, and copy the Ordinals wallet address to continue.

Mint the Bitcoin Art

Review your details, including your inscription preview, Ordinal recipient address, and total fees, and agree to the Ordinal Inscription Creator Terms of Use. 

Next, send the payment to complete your transaction. Once successful, you will receive your digital art Bitcoin NFT in your Xverse wallet. 

And that’s how you can create art on Bitcoin on Gamma with the help of Xverse.

Download Xverse to Start Making Art on Bitcoin

‍Xverse is the go-to Bitcoin NFT wallet for both Bitcoin Ordinal inscriptions and NFTs on Layer 2s like Stacks. Collectors can use Xverse to securely store their collections, while creators can connect it to various NFT marketplaces to inscribe or mint Bitcoin art.  

Download the Xverse wallet today to explore, trade, and securely manage your favorite Bitcoin art collections. 

FAQs

How do you make Bitcoin art? 

You can make Bitcoin art on various NFT platforms depending on the type of NFT you want to create. For example, you can inscribe Ordinals on Magic Eden, Gamma, Unisat, Generative, and Ordswap. 

NFT marketplaces play an essential role in the Bitcoin NFT ecosystem since they simplify the creation process. You can create Bitcoin art using a Bitcoin wallet that supports NFTs, such as Xverse, on most of these platforms.

How do I sell my art for Bitcoin?

You can sell art for Bitcoin on NFT marketplaces that support Ordinal inscriptions and Stacks NFTs. Go to Gamma, Magic Eden, Unisat, Ordinals Market, Generative, or Ordswap to list and sell Ordinals NFTs by connecting your Ordinals wallet. Moreover, you can list and sell Stacks NFTs on Tradeport, Gamma, and SuperFandom by connecting your Stacks wallet.  

You should provide all the details when listing an NFT on any marketplace for sale to potentially increase the chances of it selling.

What is generative art on Bitcoin?

Generative art is work created using algorithmic code or mathematical formulas and then minted on the Bitcoin blockchain. When artists are producing generative art, they establish a set of rules that a computer uses to provide an output. By leveraging computers, artists can generate thousands of ideas in milliseconds, saving time and money. They can also create never-before-seen shapes, forms, and patterns.