Introduction

Recently, with the rebound of the cryptocurrency market, there has been a renewed interest in BRC-20 tokens in the BTC ecosystem. These tokens, after a period of silence, have experienced a resurgence, especially after Unisat announced the launch of the SWAP feature as if the inscription frenzy in mid-2023 is once again reappearing. After six months of development, the BTC ecosystem has given birth to many new things, completely different from the previous hype.

The Resurgence of BRC-20

According to Dune data, in May, BRC-20 transactions accounted for 50% of all Bitcoin transactions. After a brief silence, BRC-20 transactions surged again starting from the end of October, and on November 12, BRC-20 transactions accounted for approximately 68.7% of all Bitcoin transactions and remained around 50%. Non-BRC-20 Ordinals inscriptions remained in the single-digit range.

Source: https://dune.com/cryptokoryo/brc20, 2023.11.13

On November 4, BRC-20 transaction fees accounted for 36% of all Bitcoin transaction fees. Currently, the percentage is maintained between 20% to 30% depending on market demand.

Source: https://dune.com/cryptokoryo/brc20, 2023.11.13

Introduction to Recursive Inscription

On June 12, 23, Raph, the chief maintainer of the Bitcoin protocol Ordinals, merged the recursive inscription #2167 proposed by Casey Rodarmor, the creator of Ordinals, into the Ordinals code on GitHub. Before the introduction of recursive inscriptions, ordinals were depicted as isolated and finite islands. Although text, images, and code could be inscribed, there was no way to reference them. With the introduction of recursive inscriptions, this changed, eliminating the awkwardness of each inscription being isolated and unrelated. Recursive inscriptions break this limitation by allowing references to other inscriptions, creating possibilities for free composition. In short, recursive inscriptions refer to an inscription that can reference the content of other inscriptions. With the introduction of recursive inscriptions, users can create inscriptions on the Bitcoin chain with less storage and lower fees.

Characteristics of Recursive Inscriptions

Enhanced interoperability, reduced costs, and breaking the 4MB limit for inscription size are among its characteristics.

Applications of Recursive Inscriptions

Using recursive inscriptions, it is possible to achieve inscription decomposition and composition, Bitcoin music, Bitcoin blockchain games, generative art, and decentralized websites.

Source: @gryphsisacademy"">https://medium.com/@gryphsisacademy

Due to the flexibility of recursive inscriptions, it provides a stage for artists to showcase their talents. Creative projects further explore the boundaries of Ordinals’ possibilities. PixelWar is a typical representative of such projects.

Overview of PixelWar

PixelWar is a new social experiment with an anonymous team, and there is currently not much information available online. While most blockchain games only use blockchain as a medium for distributing and transferring their native tokens, there are also some developers and players in the blockchain gaming industry who are attempting to create a purely on-chain gaming experience, and PixelWar seems to be one such team.

PixelWar is not just a BTC-based multiplayer game based on recursive incantations. Participants can create on a 256*256 pixel canvas. They can directly click on pixels to create, or they can place pixels generated from uploaded images on the canvas. Each submission generates an inscription representing the latest state of the entire canvas. Each generated inscription references the previous inscription state, creating a recursive chain. This may be the project with the highest number of recursion iterations currently on the market, and it is a significant application in the field of recursive inscription.

PixelWar also serves as a new BRC-20 Launchpad on BTC. As the project develops, PixelWar will gradually open up permissions. Eventually, anyone will be able to create pixel canvases and tokens on PixelWar.

PixelWar Mechanisms

PixelWar introduces a new standard called BRC721Cofound, which leverages recursive inscription to allow all users to collaborate on the same canvas and record their process. Each moment in the creation process is represented by an inscription, which includes the pixels that were newly added or updated at that time, as well as references to previous inscriptions.

The game provides a public digital canvas with 256*256 pixels where any player can add colors. Players can submit individual or multiple pixels on the public canvas, or they can upload images from their desktop. They can create on blank spaces or overwrite pixels created by previous players. All pixels collectively create a collaborative artwork.

Every time a pixel is placed, players receive 10 $BPIX tokens. After submitting pixels, players can exchange tokens on the official website.

Each pixel submitted by players on the canvas in PixelWar is permanent and tamper-proof. It not only contributes to the completion of the canvas but also rewards players with NFT images that represent the latest state of the canvas.

How to participate in the game

1. Create a BTC Wallet

Create a BTC wallet on Unisat and securely store the seed phrase.

2. Deposit BTC

Add some Bitcoin to your wallet. This will be used to purchase pixels and participate in the game.

3. Access the Game

Visit the BTC PixelWar’s website.

4. Connect Your Wallet

Click on the Wallet icon in the top right corner of the screen to link your BTC wallet with the game.

source: https://btcpixelwar.io/

5. Create Artworks

Choose Pixels: Select the pixels on the canvas where you’d like to add color, or use the drawing tools or drawing bot to craft your image. You can override any pixel as you create.

Submit Pixels: Follow the on-screen instructions to clear or purchase the pixels selected. You can finalize the purchase while the BTC network is functioning properly.

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Source: https://btcpixelwar.io/

6. Obtain Tokens

After completing the creation, click on the “Claim” button in the top right corner of the game to exchange tokens. Each pixel corresponds to 10 tokens.

Source: https://btcpixelwar.io/

7. Auction

As the PixelWar game progresses, when the remaining pixels are less than 3,000, an auction will be held for the remaining pixels. The remaining pixels will only be sold during the auction phase. Players can bid on the remaining pixels, and the person with the highest bid at the end of the auction will win the purchasing right. If there is no update to the highest bid within six blocks during the auction period, the remaining pixels will be automatically auctioned.

PixelWar Tokenomics

$BPIX Token Details

Name: BTC PixelWar

Symbol: BPIX

Total Supply: 21,000,000

Maximum Supply: fixed maximum supply of 21,000,000 $BPIX

Holders: 882

Total Transactions: 4,007

https://unisat.io/brc20/bpix

$BPIX will become an equity token in the future. During the distribution of BRC-20 tokens, most inscriptions are pre-engraved by robots, and there are often instances where robots raise the GAS to compete for inscriptions that players are currently engraving, which to some extent violates the fairness of BRC-20 token distribution. PixelWar will develop a robot called BTCBOT on the BTC chain. $BPIX will serve as an equity token, and token holders will enjoy various rights such as priority experience, profit sharing, and exclusive robot features.

Earning $BPIX

Pixel Rewards: For every pixel you submit on the canvas, you’ll receive 10 $BPIX.

Free Pixels: The official website gave away some free pixels during the early marketing campaign. When using these free pixels to create on the canvas, you could earn $BPIX (the airdrop campaign has ended now).

Guild Rewards: After joining a guild, you will receive free pixels as rewards based on the guild’s ranking. Similarly, these free pixels can only be earned when creating and will be converted into $BPIX.

Marketing Campaign: Participating in official marketing campaigns can earn you a certain amount of pixel rewards, which can only be earned when creating content with $BPIX.

Personal Ranking Rewards: Individuals who draw a certain number of pixels per day and enter the top 10 of the daily leaderboard will receive additional rewards (ranking will end after being halved for the fourth time).

Secondary Market Purchase: You can buy on the secondary market of Unisat or wait to buy after the project goes live on CEX.

Source: https://pixelwar.gitbook.io/btc-pixelwar/tokenomics

How Halving Works

The game kicks off with a maximum of 50,000 pixels available for submission at a time. As players add pixels to the canvas, the total accumulated pixels grow, moving closer to significant milestones. When the accumulated pixels reach 50% of the total supply, the first halving occurs. This means a user can only submit 25,000 pixels at a time. The second halving happens when the accumulated pixels reach 75% of the total (50% of the remaining pixels). The halving process repeats 5 rounds in total, with each halving reducing the available pixels for submission by half each time.

Halving in BTC PixelWar is more than just a countdown; it’s a strategic challenge that adds depth and excitement to the gameplay. Since the total number of pixels is fixed, each submission of pixels brings the game process closer to the next halving, easily driving player engagement.

Advantages of PixelWar

• The crypto market is quiet and needs a new narrative. The BTC ecosystem is currently in the construction stage and has already caused a huge sensation. Its scalability is enormous, and with the upcoming BTC halving, the crypto market’s attention to the BTC ecosystem will continue to increase.
• PixelWar is the first recursive inscription game in the BTC ecosystem, and it adopts the new standard BRC721Cofound. The game design is creative and has a great story and playability.
• In the later stages of planning, the PixelWar team will gradually open permissions to make PixelWar a BRC-20 Launchpad platform.
• PixelWar will develop a BTCBOT robot, providing token holders with various rights such as priority experience, profit sharing, and exclusive robot functions.
• Compared to traditional blockchain games, PixelWar has a lower entry barrier.
• PixelWar has a competitive mechanism that easily triggers participants’ FOMO emotions.

Issues with PixelWar

• BRC-20 tokens have the advantage of fair distribution of user opinions, while PixelWar tokens are distributed by the project team.
• The high transaction fees and block delays in the BTC network increase the cost of game participation for players and also affect their gaming experience.
• The $BPIX token is currently only available on a few secondary markets such as Unisat, and these platforms are susceptible to DDOS attacks, resulting in limited circulation of $BPIX tokens. However, once the game is launched on a CEX exchange, this issue can be effectively resolved.

Conclusion

Overall, the popularity of BRC-20 tokens has driven the development of the BTC ecosystem. PixelWar, as an innovative and iconic BTC multiplayer game based on recursive inscriptions, has opened up new possibilities for multiplayer game applications on the Bitcoin blockchain and demonstrated the potential of recursive inscriptions in the gaming and social fields. With the improvement of the BTC ecosystem, the development of PixelWar is also worth looking forward to.