Taproot Wizards, the innovative force behind Bitcoin NFTs, has unveiled the Quantum Cats collection—an artistic tribute to Bitcoin’s early coding days and the OP_CAT code introduced by Satoshi Nakamoto. This unique collection of 3,333 cat images, minted using Ordinals Inscriptions, comes at a cost of $66,000, showcasing the company’s commitment to evolving the digital art space on the Bitcoin blockchain.
Explaining the inspiration behind Quantum Cats, Taproot Wizards co-founder Udi Wertheimer highlighted the significance of the OP_CAT code. Originally an “op code” introduced by Satoshi Nakamoto in the first Bitcoin release and later disabled, OP_CAT, short for “concatenate,” paved the way for the Quantum Cats collection by enabling smart contracts and bridges on Bitcoin.
this inscription ✨evolved✨
and i think it’ll ✨evolve✨ again@QuantumCatsXYZ 🔔👀 pic.twitter.com/KhDBhf84iC
— Udi Wertheimer (@udiWertheimer) January 11, 2024
The Quantum Cats Ordinals stands out not only for its artistic value but also for its use of the Evolving Inscriptions technique. According to Wertheimer, the inscriptions include multiple versions of each cat, evolving over time in sync with the OP_CAT proposal process. This forward-thinking approach, though expensive due to the extensive data involved, ensures predetermined evolutions on-chain.
While costing $66,000 to create and utilizing 10MB of encrypted on-chain data, the Quantum Cats collection pushes the boundaries of what’s possible on the Bitcoin blockchain, considering the 1MB capacity of a single Bitcoin block. The encrypted nature of the cats’ evolutions maintains an element of surprise until revealed, contributing to the overall uniqueness of the collection.
Taproot Wizards has also taken a step into the traditional art world by auctioning a special edition called “Genesis Cat” by digital artist FAR at Sotheby’s until January 22. This move showcases the growing intersection between the crypto and art spheres.
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Despite its innovative contributions, Ordinals has faced criticism from some Bitcoin purists and critics who view the digital artifacts as “spam” on the network. In response, co-founder Eric Wall emphasised the broader impact of Ordinals, stating, “Ordinals has brought a new art form that takes place inside the Bitcoin blocks themselves.”
Taproot Wizards, backed by a $7.5 million funding round in November, remains determined to lead the way towards a non-custodial, scalable future for Bitcoin. The OP_CAT and Quantum Cats collection serve as a centerpiece in their ambition to showcase the untapped potential within the world of Bitcoin NFTs.
