ord is an index, block explorer, and command-line wallet for working with ordinal inscriptions on Bitcoin.
The tool implements ordinal theory, which assigns serial numbers to individual satoshis based on the order in which they are mined, and preserves these numbers across transactions. This allows satoshis to be tracked, collected, and traded as distinct digital artifacts. The ord index tracks these ordinal numbers and their associated inscriptions, while the block explorer provides visibility into ordinal activity on the Bitcoin blockchain, and the wallet functionality enables users to manage inscribed satoshis.
Adoption requires understanding several constraints. The wallet relies on Bitcoin Core for key management and transaction signing, which means Bitcoin Core is unaware of inscriptions and sat control—using standard bitcoin-cli commands alongside ord could result in loss of inscriptions. Users must maintain separate wallets for ordinals and regular Bitcoin funds to avoid accidental mixing. The ord server explorer hosts untrusted HTML and JavaScript, creating potential security vulnerabilities including cross-site scripting and spoofing attacks that users are responsible for mitigating. The tool is experimental software with no warranty. This makes it suitable for developers and collectors willing to accept these risks in exchange for direct access to ordinal infrastructure.
Development is community-funded through donations, with a lead maintainer whose work depends entirely on community support. The project maintains active prioritization of issues through a public project board and operates a Discord community for discussion and coordination.
