OP_RETURN family
Protocols that write their data into an OP_RETURN output or an OP_DROP script rather than into witness data or the UTXO set.
| Protocol | Chain | Creation operations | Released | Workspace |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DROPSdrops-protocol | Bitcoin | inscribetransfer | ReleasedA build must switch it on | /drops |
| OP_DROPop-drop, opdrop | Bitcoin | deployminttransfer | ReleasedA build must switch it on | /op-drop |
| OP-20op-return, op20, op-20 | Bitcoin | inscribedeployminttransfer | Released, ungated | /op-return |
OP-20 and OP_RETURN inscriptions
Section titled “OP-20 and OP_RETURN inscriptions”One workspace, /op-return, covers two things the production contract tracks separately:
free-form OP_RETURN inscriptions, and OP-20 tokens.
OP-20 is the only protocol in Inscribe with all four creation operations: deploy,
mint, inscribe and transfer. The same workspace also registers and transfers OP
Names.
| Property | Detail |
|---|---|
| Payload limit | 34,000 bytes, well above the 79-byte standard relay reference |
| File path limit | 25,000 bytes |
| Operations | inscribe, deploy, mint, transfer |
| Service fee note | An op_names batch pays the flat 1,500 satoshis once per name, not once per order |
That service fee behaviour is the exception worth remembering: for most flows the fee is charged once per order, and for an OP Names batch it is per name.
Workspace: /op-return. Released and ungated.
Confirmed data artifacts with stable IDs and on-chain proof.
| Property | Detail |
|---|---|
| Payload limit | 256 bytes. Drops are deliberately small |
| Operations | inscribe, transfer |
The /drops workspace | Browsing verified Drops, read-only |
| Where creation happens | Through the Inscribe workspace |
Drop Pacts is a related surface for designing and launching Drop Pact agreements, with a resumable tutorial.
Drops carries an unusual verification requirement: it needs two independent Universe-operated Bitcoin processes to agree on the finalized block hash. If either verifier is unavailable or they disagree, readiness stays unavailable rather than falling back to a public blockchain provider.
Workspace: /drops. Released, and a deployment must switch it on.
OP_DROP
Section titled “OP_DROP”Deploy, mint and transfer, where every operation is a compact JSON inscription and funding is wallet-only.
OP_DROP appears repeatedly in the asset-safety screening, because several of its flows choose funding outputs on your behalf: order funding, settlement fee inputs, and ownership receipt inputs all pass through the classification described in asset safety.
Its service fee is quoted as its own total rather than as the flat amount.
Workspace: /op-drop. Released, and a deployment must switch it on.