Lightning-assisted payment for Ordinals trades
This protocol is experimental and unproven. Critical risks:
DO NOT USE WITH REAL FUNDS. Testnet only until further notice.
What Sparkle is:
What Sparkle is not:
Integration claims: No official partnerships yet. Demo integrations provided as open-source examples.
Payment Settlement Speed:
{
"p": "sparkle",
"op": "deploy",
"v": 1,
"lightning": {
"enabled": true,
"network": "testnet",
"htlc_timeout": 144
},
"traits": ["insc:abc.../0", "insc:def.../1"],
"checkpoint_window": 72
}| Protocol | Base Cost | Per NFT | Total (10K) | Lightning Support | State Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Ordinals | $2.50 | $2.50 | $25,000 | No | None |
| BRC-20 | $1.00 | $1.00 | $10,000 | No | None |
| GBRC-721 | $0.50 | $0.50 | $5,000 | No | Partial |
| Sparkle | $1,000 | $0.10 | $2,000 | Yes | Complete |
Sparkle Protocol is designed for potential integration with existing NFT marketplaces through a standardized detection and trading mechanism. Marketplaces could identify Sparkle-enabled ordinals by parsing inscription metadata for protocol markers.
Ordinals inscribed with Sparkle Protocol metadata could display a distinctive badge on
marketplace interfaces, signaling Lightning Network trading capability. This would be achieved
through indexer modification to detect the protocol signature: {"p": "sparkle", "v": 1}
A critical innovation is the reinscription bridge mechanism, allowing existing ordinals to be upgraded with Lightning capability without modifying the original inscription:
{
"p": "sparkle",
"op": "upgrade",
"original": "existing_ordinal_inscription_id",
"spark": {
"enabled": true,
"sdk_version": "1.0.0",
"bridged_at": block_height
}
}
This preserves the provenance and authenticity of the original inscription while adding Lightning Network functionality. The reinscription creates a child inscription that references the parent, maintaining the chain of ownership.
| Component | Function | Integration Point |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplace UI | Display Sparkle badge | Frontend modification |
| Indexer | Detect protocol metadata | Parser enhancement |
| Lightning Backend | Handle Lightning payments (spark.money SDK, LND, or Core Lightning) | Backend integration |
| Trade Executor | Atomic swap coordination | Smart contract layer |
The integration requires minimal changes to existing marketplace infrastructure, primarily involving Lightning payment backend (e.g., spark.money SDK, LND, or Core Lightning — no vendor lock-in) and UI modifications to display Lightning-enabled status. Note: spark.money is optional third-party middleware; you can run your own Lightning node.
| Layer | Components | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Layer 2: Lightning | Lightning Nodes, HTLC Channels, State Channels | Sub-second payment, ~10min ownership |
| Protocol Layer | Sparkle SDK, Validators, Indexers | State management, 96% cost reduction ($25K → $2K for 10K NFTs) |
| Layer 1: Bitcoin | Ordinal Inscriptions, Checkpoints, Bitcoin Blockchain | Base layer security and finality |
SHA-256 merkle trees, Schnorr signatures, and HTLC commitments ensure cryptographic integrity.
Native BOLT-3 compliance enables sub-second NFT trades with negligible fees.
Mandatory checkpointing every 72 blocks guarantees canonical state across all validators.
| Feature | Sparkle | BRC-20 | GBRC-721 | Runes | Stamps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | 92.0% | 60% | 80% | 40% | 0% |
| Lightning Support | Native | None | None | None | None |
| State Guarantee | Deterministic | Probabilistic | Optional | Weak | None |
| Trade Speed | Sub-second | 10min | 10min | 10min | 10min |
| Formal Verification | Yes | No | Partial | No | No |
This is a public standard proposal. Anyone can implement without permission. The DARKITA collection will be inscribed using Sparkle as a living reference implementation demonstrating the protocol's cost efficiency and Lightning settlement capabilities.
This specification is published with versioned artifacts, timestamped commits, and reproducible test vectors to establish prior art and enable independent implementations.
import { SparkleSDK } from '@sparkle/sdk';
// Initialize SDK
const sparkle = new SparkleSDK({
network: 'mainnet',
lightning: {
node: 'spark.money',
capacity: 1000000
}
});
// Deploy collection with Lightning support
const collection = await sparkle.deploy({
name: 'DARKITA',
traits: ['backgrounds', 'bodies', 'eyes', 'accessories'],
lightning: true,
checkpointWindow: 72
});
// Mint NFT with instant Lightning trading
const nft = await sparkle.mint({
collection: collection.id,
traits: [trait1, trait2, trait3],
recipient: 'bc1p...',
enableLightning: true
});
// Trade via Lightning (instant, <$0.01 fee)
await sparkle.lightning.trade({
nft: nft.id,
price: 0.001, // BTC
htlcTimeout: 144
});Potential Integration Points:
spark.money SDK (for Lightning), Ordinals Protocol (for NFTs), Marketplace APIs
Note: No partnerships exist. These are suggested integration points.