How to buy Bitcoin Ordinals using a UniSat wallet? (Inscriptions guide)

Understanding Bitcoin Ordinals and Inscriptions

1. Bitcoin Ordinals is a protocol that assigns unique serial numbers to individual satoshis—the smallest unit of Bitcoin—enabling them to carry data in the form of inscriptions.

2. These inscriptions operate directly on the Bitcoin blockchain, leveraging the Taproot upgrade to embed text, images, audio, or video into transaction witness data.

3. Unlike Ethereum-based NFTs, Ordinals are not built on smart contracts; they rely on immutable, on-chain storage with no external dependencies.

4. Each inscription is tied to a specific satoshi and moves with it across transactions, making provenance verifiable and censorship-resistant.

5. The UniSat wallet supports Ordinals natively, allowing users to view, receive, send, and inscribe directly from their interface without third-party intermediaries.

Setting Up and Securing a UniSat Wallet

1. Download the official UniSat browser extension from unisat.io to avoid counterfeit versions circulating on unofficial platforms.

2. Create a new wallet by generating a 12-word recovery phrase and storing it offline in a secure physical location—never digitally.

3. Fund the wallet with Bitcoin using a standard BTC address; note that inscribing requires additional fees for both the inscription transaction and subsequent transfers.

4. Enable the “Ordinal Mode” toggle inside the wallet settings to activate support for satoshi-level tracking and inscription display.

5. Verify that your wallet shows “Ordinals Ready” status before proceeding to mint or purchase inscriptions.

Navigating the UniSat Marketplace

1. Access the integrated marketplace via the “Market” tab in the UniSat interface, where listed inscriptions appear with previews, rarity scores, and ownership history.

2. Filter results by type (e.g., image, text, PFP), collection name, or block height to narrow down relevant assets.

3. Click any listing to view full metadata—including inscription ID, block number, output index, and associated satoshi position.

4. Confirm transaction details including network fee, inscription fee, and total BTC cost before initiating purchase.

5. After confirmation, the inscription appears instantly in your “Assets” tab with its original content rendered inline when supported.

Buying an Inscription via Direct Transfer

1. Obtain the seller’s Bitcoin address and the exact inscription ID they wish to transfer—this is essential as inscriptions cannot be sent without specifying the target satoshi.

2. In UniSat, select “Send” and paste the recipient address, then click “Add Inscription” to attach the specific inscription ID from your holdings.

3. Adjust miner fee based on current mempool congestion; higher fees increase priority but do not guarantee inclusion if the inscription output is already spent.

4. Review the preview showing input UTXOs, selected satoshi, and change outputs to ensure no accidental overwriting of other inscriptions.

5. Sign the transaction with your private key locally—the wallet never transmits keys to servers during this process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I buy Ordinals using fiat currency through UniSat?UniSat does not support direct fiat on-ramps. Users must acquire Bitcoin externally and transfer it into the wallet before purchasing inscriptions.

Q: What happens if I send an Ordinal to a non-Ordinal-aware wallet?The satoshi carrying the inscription will still arrive, but wallets lacking ordinal indexing will treat it as regular Bitcoin and may not render or recognize the embedded content.

Q: Is there a way to verify the authenticity of an inscription outside UniSat?Yes. Any inscription can be validated using public block explorers like ordinals.com or mysticanimals.com by entering its inscription ID, which reveals raw data, block height, and parent transaction.

Q: Do I need to hold the inscription permanently once purchased?No. Inscriptions are fully transferable like any Bitcoin UTXO. You may sell, gift, or destroy them at any time by spending the corresponding output.