@APRO Oracle #APRO $AT Bitcoin NFT trading volume rivaled Ethereum in April 2024. NodeMonkes $198M market cap, Bitcoin Puppets $144M. Runes Protocol launched alongside the halving, generating $3M in fees in the first 10 days. But just 2 weeks later? Metrics dropped 50%+. APRO claims to support Ordinals and Runes - but the question is: does this market still exist?
🎯 Why Do We Need Ordinals & Runes?
Ordinals, launched January 2023 by Casey Rodarmor, allows inscribing data directly onto individual satoshis - creating native NFTs on Bitcoin. Unlike Ethereum NFTs (smart contracts pointing to off-chain storage), Ordinals embed data on-chain permanently.
Use cases: Digital art, collectibles, Bitcoin-native cultural artifacts. NodeMonkes, Bitcoin Puppets, Runestone became viral collections. Trading primarily on OKX and Magic Eden, with volume sometimes rivaling Ethereum.
Runes Protocol, also by Rodarmor, launched April 2024 (block 840,000, coinciding with halving). Designed as a fungible token standard for Bitcoin - the equivalent of ERC-20. Runes addresses limitations of BRC-20 (predecessor protocol) with a UTXO-based model, reducing "junk UTXOs" causing blockchain bloat.
Use cases: Memecoins, DeFi tokens, fungible digital assets. DOG•GO•TO•THE•MOON became a top Rune. Market potential: attract crypto natives to Bitcoin ecosystem, increase transaction volumes and miner revenues.
⚙️ Why Are Oracles Needed? APRO's Role
Ordinals and Runes are on-chain protocols that don't technically need Oracles to exist. But DeFi use cases built on top need external data:
NFT price feeds: Lending protocols allowing users to collateralize Ordinals NFTs need real-time floor prices. Liquidations require accurate valuations. Oracles must track Magic Eden sales, verify authenticity, deliver prices on-chain.Runes token prices: DEXs trading Runes pairs, lending markets accepting Runes collateral, derivatives platforms - all need price oracles. Runes are fungible tokens, but Bitcoin doesn't have native AMM pools or price discovery mechanisms like Ethereum.Cross-chain bridges: When Ordinals or Runes bridge to other chains (wrapped assets), Oracles verify Bitcoin state and maintain peg consistency.
APRO claims to support "Bitcoin L1, Ordinals, Runes Protocol" in documentation. According to announcements, APRO provides "Runes Price Feed" and "NFT Price Feed" services. But...
📊 Reality Check
Numbers tell a harsh story:
Initial hype was strong: Runes launch April 2024 generated $3M in fees in the first 10 days, 85,000+ token issuances. At peak, Runes = 80% of Bitcoin network activity.Rapid decline: Just 2 weeks later (May 2024), metrics dropped >50%. From 85K issuances down to 5K. Fees from $3M down to <$100K. By November 2024, Runes only 20% of network activity.Ordinals plateau: Top 10 Bitcoin NFT collections combined market cap $1.03B (May 2024), daily volume $2.25M. Sounds impressive until compared with Ethereum ($2B+ daily NFT volume), Solana ($500M+), or Ronin. Bitcoin NFTs remain niche.Google Trends: "Ordinals" searches hit ATH April 2024, then declined. "Bitcoin NFTs" searches ATH March 2024. Interest fading fast.
APRO's actual usage unclear: Despite claims about Ordinals/Runes support, there's no public data on how many projects actually use APRO's NFT or Runes price feeds. No case studies, no documented integrations, no volume metrics.
🔮 Closing Thoughts
Ordinals and Runes sparked excitement about expanding Bitcoin's utility beyond store of value. Briefly looked like NFT and fungible token ecosystems could thrive on Bitcoin.
But in reality: Initial hype was unsustainable. Metrics collapsed quickly. Bitcoin's architecture is fundamentally not designed for high-frequency trading, complex DeFi, or rich NFT ecosystems. Workarounds exist but are clunky.
APRO's support claims look premature. Market hasn't proven itself. No clear demand for Ordinals/Runes Oracles. Building infrastructure for an experimental, declining market is a high-risk bet.
Unless Ordinals/Runes see resurgence (unlikely given structural limitations), Oracle focus should stay on proven markets: Ethereum DeFi, Solana perpetuals, BNB Chain liquid staking. Bitcoin NFTs are an interesting experiment, not a sustainable market.
👉 Do you think Ordinals & Runes have a future, or are they just a temporary trend in Bitcoin's history?
#BTCVSGOLD #nft #defi #WriteToEarnUpgrade ✍️ Written by
@CryptoTradeSmart Crypto Insights | Trading Perspectives
⚠️ Disclaimer
This article is for informational and educational purposes only, NOT financial advice.Crypto carries high risk; you may lose all your capitalPast performance ≠ future resultsAlways DYOR (Do Your Own Research)Only invest money you can afford to lose
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