- Bitcoin ordinals inscriptions have crossed the 7 million mark in two months, resulting in an all-time high network activity.
- An increase in congestion due to spam transactions caused by BRC-20 tokens has resulted in higher-than-average transaction fees.
- Bitcoin price is expected to bottom out at the $24,000 to $25,000 mark if the drawdown continues.
Bitcoin Ordinals, which enabled the possibility of creating NFTs on the world’s biggest cryptocurrency network, is starting to weigh on the network. The increasing cost of transactions is a rising concern, which could inadvertently trigger a further decline in Bitcoin price.
Impact of Bitcoin Ordinals and BRC-20
Since their origin of Ordinals and the introduction of the BRC-20 token standard in March of this year, Bitcoin-based meme coins have been rising. The meme coin fever had a grasp on the crypto market, too, for a while, thanks to PEPE and Milady tokens. As it took over Bitcoin too, issues began arising.
Firstly, this triggered the developers, who were not happy because spam transactions were on the rise again after a brief deceleration. Spam transactions usually create unwanted load on the network and in particular to Bitcoin this is caused by the rising hype and demand surrounding BRC-20 tokens.
The development of BRC-20-based meme coins is one of the leading causes of transactions running so high. A developer Ali Sherief even suggested banning spam transactions to protect the user base and minimize congestion on the network.
Bitcoin Ordinals volume
The proposal made sense, too, since the congestion caused due to spam transactions resulted in an increase in transaction fees. The average fee on the network touched $30 per transaction on May 8, the highest in two years and is currently averaging around $6.
Bitcoin average transaction fees
This needs to be controlled since the prospect of Bitcoin becoming a crucial part of the web3 space is drawing more users to Ordinals and BRC-20. The opportunities that come with it could propel Bitcoin into the forefront of web3. In line with the same Ordinals developer, Leonidas stated,
“Bitcoin is speedrunning its transition to Web3. Because we have the template of what works from other chains, things are moving so much faster. What Ethereum took 6 years to do, we are going to do in 6 months.
Besides, with over 7 million inscriptions in two months, Bitcoin is growing pretty rapidly. This is visible in the network activity as well, which is at a record high at the moment. Over the last few days, daily transactions reached a high of 628,000 owing to the BRC-20 hype.
Bitcoin price could decline further
Analyst Cryptonary, on Twitter, in regards to the congestion caused by BRC-20 hype and the broader market uncertainty, noted that there is a possibility that Bitcoin price could end up falling further. As forecasted, BTC could bottom out at $24,000 to $25,000, but if the bearishness intensifies, the cryptocurrency could slide to $20,000.
However, FXStreet analyst Akash Girimath presented an upside target of $28,600 if Bitcoin price keeps above $27,000. But even potential corrections would not drag the digital asset below the $25,290 and $23,905 levels.
BTC/USD 1-day chart
Read more about the aforementioned targets here - Top 3 Price Prediction Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple: Crypto markets in disarray as BTC flatlines
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended Content
Editors’ Picks

Ripple Price Forecast: Debut of cash-settled XRP futures on CME fails to trigger rally
XRP slides for two consecutive days as sentiment in the broader market remains cautious. In its debut, the XRP futures launch on CME Group’s derivatives platform exceeded $2.4 million in trading volume.

Bitcoin fails to reach all-time high despite building institutional and state support
Bitcoin (BTC) price stabilizes at around $105,200 at the time of writing on Tuesday, just 4% shy of its record peak. The positive narrative builds as JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said the bank will let clients buy Bitcoin on Monday.

Aave targets $300 following the protocol’s deployment on Aptos, rising open interest
Aave’s rally is testing the $270 resistance, fuelled by growing optimism for a push beyond $300. Aave v3 protocol’s deployment on Aptos marks a new era for cross-chain crypto lending.

Cardano Price Forecast: ADA on the verge of correction as momentum weakens
Cardano price hovers around its key support at $0.72 on Tuesday; a close below could trigger a correction. On-chain metrics support a bearish thesis as ADA daily active addresses and DEX trading volume are falling.

Bitcoin: BTC stabilizes near $103,000 amid trade optimism, rising institutional demand
Bitcoin (BTC) price stabilizes at around $103,000 when writing on Friday, after facing multiple rejections at the key $105,000 resistance level throughout the week.