Bitcoin developer Nick Szabo warns against use of Inscriptions

Bitcoin core developer Nick Szabo has expressed concern over Inscriptions, the practice of using the Bitcoin network to store images or files. He argued that while the Bitcoin whitepaper mentions the term "message," it is a simple programming term. According to Szabo, using this as a basis to treat Bitcoin as a general messaging tool or data archive misinterprets the creator's intent, as Bitcoin is a financial protocol. He further explained that since the blockchain is immutable, if someone were to record illegal data, it would be permanently stored on the hard drives of all node operators worldwide. Szabo warned this could create a "regulatory trap," providing governments with a pretext to outlaw the entire Bitcoin network. Bitcoin Inscriptions are a technology that engraves individual data onto a satoshi, the smallest unit of Bitcoin, expanding the network from a simple currency transfer system into a platform capable of issuing NFTs and tokens.