Bitcoin SV Protocols

Bitcoin SV enables unlimited data storage on-chain through OP_RETURN outputs, creating a foundation for diverse, interoperable Application Layer protocols that build functionality on top of the blockchain.

Building on Bitcoin

LEVEL 4: APPLICATION PROTOCOLS
Data Protocols & Applications
B://, 1SAT Ordinals, MAP, AIP, HAIP, Paymail, Metanet, etc.
DEVELOPER FOCUS
Use Application Layer protocols to create innovative solutions - from storing data and minting tokens to establishing identity systems and crafting decentralized applications.
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LEVEL 3: TRANSACTIONS
Transaction Structure
Inputs, Outputs, Scripts (OP_RETURN, P2PKH, etc.), Signatures
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LEVEL 2: BLOCKS
Block Structure
Block Header, Merkle Tree, Timestamp, Difficulty
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LEVEL 1: BLOCKCHAIN
Bitcoin SV Blockchain
Immutable Ledger, Proof of Work, Chain of Blocks
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Application Layer Protocols

Click on a protocol to learn more about how it works.

B:// Protocol

Files

Store complete files directly on the blockchain with metadata and content addressing.

19HxigV4QyBv3tHpQVcUEQyq1pzZVdoAut
b.bitdb.network →

1SAT Ordinals

NFTs

Inscribe digital artifacts and NFTs directly into transaction outputs on Bitcoin SV.

ord | 1SAT format
docs.1satordinals.com →

MAP

Metadata

Magic Attribute Protocol: Store key-value metadata for any on-chain content.

1PuQa7K62MiKCtssSLKy1kh56WWU7MtUR5
github.com/rohenaz/MAP →

AIP

Identity

Author Identity Protocol: Sign content on-chain to prove authorship and ownership.

15PciHG22SNLQJXMoSUaWVi7WSqc7hCfva

HAIP

Identity

Hash Author Identity Protocol: Hash-based verification for data integrity and provenance.

1HA1P2exomAwCUycZHr8WeyFoy5vuQASE3

Paymail

Payments

Human-readable payment addresses (like email) that resolve to Bitcoin addresses.

user@domain.com

SIGMA

Tokens

Simplified token protocol for creating and managing fungible tokens on Bitcoin SV.

STAS/SIGMA format

Run

Smart Contracts

Token and smart contract protocol with programmable logic built on Bitcoin SV.

Jig-based tokens

Metanet

Network

Graph-based protocol for organizing data on-chain into interconnected structures.

Parent-child relationships

Bitcoin Schema

Standards

Comprehensive collection of on-chain data standards and protocol specifications for Bitcoin SV.

Multi-protocol registry
bitcoinschema.org →

How Application Layer Protocols Work

OP_RETURN Outputs

Most Application Layer protocols use OP_RETURN outputs to embed data directly in transactions. Bitcoin SV has no practical limit on OP_RETURN size, enabling protocols to store everything from simple metadata to complete files.

Protocol Identifiers

Protocols typically use a unique identifier (often a Bitcoin address) as the first field in their OP_RETURN data. This allows parsers to efficiently recognize and decode protocol-specific data.

Data Encoding

Protocol data can be encoded in various formats: UTF-8 text, JSON, binary data, or custom encodings. The protocol specification defines how to structure and interpret the data. Bitcoin data is not encrypted by default - all on-chain data is publicly readable. However, payloads can be encrypted using various methods (symmetric encryption, public key encryption, etc.) before being written to the blockchain for privacy-sensitive applications.