Inscriptions Likely To Push Bitcoin Block Size to 4 MB

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  • New research shows inscriptions are likely to push Bitcoin’s block size to 4 MB
  • A report by Mempool Research shows that Bitcoin’s current block size is roughly 1.5 MB
  • The research notes the rise will be due to the increased adoption of Bitcoin inscriptions

A new report by Mempool Research shows that the size of Bitcoin blocks is likely to reach 4 MB as more people embrace Bitcoin inscriptions. The report revealed that the current block size is roughly 1.7 MB and is projected to reach 4 MB between late 2026 and mid-2027. Mempool Research said the block size has been on the rise after the blockchain’s Taproot upgrade in 2021 with 2.4 MB being the highest block size so far, something that’s likely to increase rapidly with more entities inscribing data on the network and the rise of Bitcoin layer 2s.

“A Persistent Transaction Backlog” Also a Factor

According to the report, an average block size of 4 MB will increase the total blockchain size to 1 TB by the end of Q3 2026 “and 2 TB by mid-2031.” It also noted that the Bitcoin blockchain would reach 1 TB in 2029 and 2 TB in 2042 if the block size remained at pre-inscription levels.

Mempool Research noted that inscriptions and “a persistent transaction backlog” have contributed to a high block space utilization since 2023. It added that inscriptions take advantage of the Taproot upgrade to offer lower fees.

Tether Expresses Interest in Bitcoin

The block size projections come as more entities seek to launch projects that inscribe data directly on the Bitcoin blockchain. Bitcoin NFT marketplace Bioniq, for example, recently launched Odin.fun, a Bitcoin-based memecoin project.

Four days ago, Tether announced that it’ll integrate its stablecoin, USDT, into the blockchain to increase the stablecoin’s application on the network.

With the Bitcoin block size expected to increase to 4 MB, it’s to be seen whether the increase will come with a noticeable reduction in transaction fees on the network. 

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