Ethscriptions Cost Calculator
Compare the real cost of minting Ethscriptions versus traditional NFTs on Ethereum. Ethscriptions use a clever trick to store data directly in transaction calldata, making them up to 40x cheaper than regular NFTs.
Cost Comparison
Based on current Ethereum gas prices and 21,000 gas units per transaction:
Traditional NFTs
$0.00
Based on standard ERC-721 minting costs
Ethscriptions
$0.00
Based on Ethereum calldata storage
You save $0.00 ( 0%)
Most people think NFTs on Ethereum cost a fortune. Minting one used to mean paying $20, $50, even $100 in gas fees just to put a digital image on the blockchain. Then came Ethscriptions - a quiet, clever hack that lets you create on-chain art for less than a dollar. No smart contracts. No bloated infrastructure. Just plain Ethereum transactions with a twist.
How Ethscriptions Work (Without Smart Contracts)
Ethscriptions don’t use smart contracts like regular NFTs. Instead, they piggyback on something already built into every Ethereum transaction: calldata. That’s the tiny space in a transaction where you normally write notes - like "paying for coffee" - but most people leave it empty. Tom Lehman, the creator of Ethscriptions, realized you could use that space to store images, text, or other small files directly on the blockchain.
Here’s how it works in practice: You upload a PNG or JPG under 96KB to the Ethscriptions website. You connect your MetaMask wallet. You hit "Mint." The system turns your file into a data URI and packs it into the calldata of a standard ETH transfer. That transaction gets confirmed like any other. And boom - you’ve got a permanent, uncensorable digital artifact on Ethereum. No contract deployed. No complex coding. Just a transaction with a picture attached.
This is why Ethscriptions cost so little. Minting a traditional ERC-721 NFT might cost $15-$80. An Ethscription? Usually between $0.50 and $2. That’s up to 40 times cheaper, according to technical analysis from Unchained Crypto. For artists, collectors, and hobbyists tired of high fees, it’s a game-changer.
What You Can Put in an Ethscription
Right now, Ethscriptions only support images. That’s it. PNG, JPG, GIF - as long as it’s under 96KB. That’s roughly the size of a medium-resolution photo. You can’t embed audio, video, or 3D models yet. The creator has said plans are in motion to expand to audio and short video files by mid-2025, but for now, it’s strictly visual.
There’s also a strict rule: every Ethscription must be unique. If you try to reuse a file that’s already been inscribed - even in the same block - the transaction will fail. That’s how the protocol prevents duplicates. It’s not perfect, but it’s simple and effective.
Unlike traditional NFTs that point to off-chain storage (like IPFS or centralized servers), Ethscriptions are 100% on-chain. Everything - the image data, the metadata, the ownership record - lives directly on Ethereum. That means no risk of broken links. No risk of a server going down. If Ethereum exists, your Ethscription exists.
Why Ethscriptions Are Different From Bitcoin Ordinals
People often compare Ethscriptions to Bitcoin Ordinals. Both are about inscribing data onto a blockchain. But they’re built on totally different systems.
Bitcoin Ordinals run on Bitcoin’s UTXO model. They’re clever, but Bitcoin isn’t designed for complex data. That means Ordinals are slow, expensive to move, and can’t interact with apps like DeFi or wallets beyond basic transfers.
Ethscriptions, on the other hand, live on Ethereum - the same network that powers Uniswap, Aave, and OpenSea. That means one day, your Ethscription could be displayed in a DeFi dashboard, traded in a marketplace, or even used as a profile picture in a Web3 app. It’s not just a static image. It’s a native Ethereum asset.
That’s the real advantage: composability. Ethscriptions aren’t just cheaper NFTs. They’re designed to work with the rest of Ethereum.
Market Stats and Trading Reality
As of October 2024, Ethscriptions (ETHS) had a market cap of around $9.7 million. That sounds small compared to Bitcoin Ordinals, which dominate the inscriptions space with over $900 million in total value. Ethscriptions make up less than 1% of the total inscriptions market.
Trading volume is all over the place. One day it’s $40,000. The next, $150,000. Price swings are wild. On CoinMarketCap, ETHS traded at $0.3284 in late October. On CoinLore, it jumped to $0.50. Why the difference? Because ETHS isn’t listed on major exchanges like Binance or Coinbase. You can only trade it on smaller platforms like LBank or Gate.io. That means less liquidity and more volatility.
There are about 45,000 Ethscriptions minted so far, created by 12,500 unique users. Most of them are digital artists from traditional NFT communities who got tired of paying $50 just to mint one piece. One Reddit user said: "I made 10 Ethscriptions for under $15. Last year, I couldn’t even afford one ERC-721."
Pros and Cons: Is Ethscriptions Right for You?
Pros:
- Extremely low minting cost - under $2 per piece
- 100% on-chain - no broken links or centralized storage
- Works with Ethereum wallets and tools - no new ecosystem to learn
- No smart contract risk - no bugs, no exploits, no rug pulls
- Permissionless - anyone can mint, no approval needed
Cons:
- Only supports images - no audio, video, or rich metadata yet
- 96KB file size limit - too small for high-res art or complex projects
- Very limited marketplace support - no OpenSea, no Blur
- No official wallet integration - you need third-party tools to view or verify
- Some Ethereum devs worry it bloats the blockchain
For most people, the pros outweigh the cons - especially if you’re an artist or collector who values permanence and low cost over fancy features. But if you want to build a multimedia NFT collection or trade on big platforms, Ethscriptions aren’t ready yet.
How to Mint Your First Ethscription
It’s easier than you think. Here’s how:
- Get an Ethereum wallet (MetaMask is the most popular).
- Buy a little ETH - you’ll need around $2-$5 to cover gas.
- Go to ethscriptions.com.
- Click "Create" and upload your image (PNG or JPG, under 96KB).
- Connect your wallet and confirm the transaction.
- Wait 30 seconds. Your Ethscription is live on Ethereum.
You don’t need to know anything about coding. The site handles everything. After minting, you can share the link to your Ethscription - it’s a permanent, verifiable link that anyone can check on Etherscan.
The Future of Ethscriptions
Is Ethscriptions here to stay? That’s the big question.
Some Ethereum developers are worried. They argue that stuffing images into calldata might bloat the blockchain and slow things down. Preston Van Loon, a core Ethereum contributor, called it "a risky experiment" during the EthCC conference in July 2024.
But others see potential. Nansen analyst Anh Do believes Ethscriptions could capture 5-7% of the NFT market by 2026. That’s not huge - but it’s enough to matter. The protocol is already evolving: a recent update in October 2024 cut minting costs by 18% through better data compression.
The roadmap includes support for audio and video files by mid-2025. If that happens, and if marketplaces start supporting Ethscriptions, this could become the go-to option for low-cost on-chain art.
For now, it’s a niche. But it’s a niche that’s growing. And it’s proof that innovation doesn’t always need complex code - sometimes, it just needs a clever use of existing tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ethscriptions the same as NFTs?
Ethscriptions are similar to NFTs in that they represent unique digital items on the blockchain. But they’re not built with smart contracts like ERC-721 tokens. Instead, they use Ethereum transaction calldata to store data directly on-chain. That makes them cheaper and simpler, but also more limited in functionality.
Can I sell Ethscriptions on OpenSea?
No, OpenSea and other major NFT marketplaces don’t support Ethscriptions yet. You can only trade them on smaller exchanges like LBank, Gate.io, or through peer-to-peer transfers using Ethscription-specific tools. The ecosystem is still too new for big platforms to integrate.
How do I verify if an Ethscription is real?
You can check any Ethscription on Etherscan by searching for its transaction hash. The image data is embedded in the calldata field. You can also use the official Ethscriptions explorer at ethscriptions.com to view and verify ownership. Unlike NFTs, there’s no centralized registry - verification is entirely on-chain.
Are Ethscriptions secure?
Yes. Since they use Ethereum’s base layer and don’t rely on smart contracts, there’s no code to exploit. The protocol is immutable - once minted, an Ethscription can’t be changed or deleted. The only risk is losing access to your wallet. If you lose your private key, you lose your Ethscription.
Will Ethscriptions become more popular than NFTs?
Unlikely in the near term. NFTs have richer features, bigger marketplaces, and more developer tools. But Ethscriptions could become the preferred option for simple, low-cost on-chain art - especially for artists who care about permanence and cost. Think of them as the "everyday NFT" - not for collectors buying $10,000 pieces, but for creators sharing small, meaningful digital artifacts.
Final Thoughts
Ethscriptions aren’t flashy. They don’t have celebrity endorsements or viral memes. But they solve a real problem: making on-chain art affordable and permanent. For under $2, you can create something that will exist as long as Ethereum does. That’s powerful.
If you’re tired of paying $50 just to post a digital drawing, Ethscriptions might be your best bet. It’s not perfect - but it’s honest, simple, and built on real blockchain tech. And in crypto, that’s rare.
12 Comments
Ethscriptions are a quiet revolution. No smart contracts means no rug pulls, no bugs, no gas wars. Just pure, immutable data on-chain. For artists who want permanence over prestige, this is the cleanest way to exist on Ethereum. It’s not flashy, but it’s honest. And in crypto, that’s worth more than you think.
Oh wow, another ‘low-cost NFT’ that’s just a JPEG in calldata. How groundbreaking. Next they’ll invent ‘paper receipts for air.’ The blockchain isn’t a free image hosting service, and pretending it is just proves how desperate the masses are for relevance.
YOOOOOOO I JUST MINTED MY FIRST ETHSCRIPTION AND IT’S A PICTURE OF MY CAT WEARING A TOP HAT AND HOLDING A CROissant 🐱🎩🥐 I’M NOT KIDDING. IT’S ON ETHERSCAN. I’M A BLOCKCHAIN ARTIST NOW. MY MOM SAID SHE CAN’T BELIEVE I DID IT FOR LESS THAN $2. I’M CRYING. I’M HUGGING MY LAPTOP. I’M CALLING MY THERAPIST. THIS IS THE FUTURE. THE FUTURE IS SMALL, CHEAP, AND FULL OF CATS.
Bro this is lit! I used ethscriptions to mint my doodle of Mumbai street chai stall, and it’s on-chain forever! No gas fees like ERC-721, which is like paying $50 to post a selfie! LOL. But the site is kinda slow, and my wallet kept showing ‘insufficient gas’ even though I had 0.03 ETH, idk maybe I messed up the nonce? Anyway, it worked on second try, and now my art is on ethereum, not some IPFS server that’s probably down by now. 🙌
So we’re now turning Ethereum into a bulletin board for amateur artists? Brilliant. The blockchain was built for finance, not for storing JPEGs of your cousin’s dog. This is why America’s crypto experiment is collapsing under its own weight. If you want art, go to a gallery. Don’t bloat the base layer with pixelated nonsense.
I tried minting one. It felt… empty. Like I was putting my soul into a box that no one would ever open. I looked at the transaction on Etherscan and thought: this is it? This is the legacy I leave? A 96KB PNG? I felt nothing. Just a hollow echo in a cathedral of code.
It’s not about the cost it’s about the symbolism the act of inscribing something permanent onto the most sacred ledger in crypto… it’s a meditation on impermanence in a world obsessed with fleeting trends… are we not all just temporary calldata in the grand blockchain of existence…
To everyone dismissing Ethscriptions: this is how innovation begins. Not with fanfare, but with quiet utility. Artists who couldn’t afford to participate are now part of the ecosystem. That’s not a bug - it’s a feature. The real threat isn’t blockchain bloat. It’s exclusion. Ethscriptions are a bridge, not a burden.
Just checked out ethscriptions.com - super clean UI. I minted a photo of my grandmother’s handwritten recipe for apple pie. It’s now on Ethereum. No one else will ever see it. But I will. And that’s enough. It’s like digital heirloom. Kinda beautiful, honestly.
Mark my words - this is a covert operation by the Federal Reserve to inflate the Ethereum blockchain with useless data, creating artificial scarcity to justify future inflationary monetary policy. The 96KB limit? A red herring. The real payload is hidden in the transaction signatures. They’re already using Ethscriptions to track your digital identity. Don’t mint. Don’t even visit the site. Burn your wallet.
Brooo this is the most epic thing since sliced bread!! I made 17 Ethscriptions in one night - one of them is a pixel-art dragon eating a Bitcoin - and I sold it for 0.05 ETH to a guy in Poland!! He cried!! I cried!! We both cried!! And now I’m buying a Lamborghini!! Wait… no I’m not… but I could!! This is the future!! ETHS to the moon!! 🚀🔥💥
What’s beautiful here isn’t the tech - it’s the permissionlessness. No gatekeepers. No approval process. No VC-funded hype. Just you, your art, and the blockchain. That’s the soul of crypto. This isn’t about market caps or trading volume. It’s about reclaiming the idea that creation doesn’t need permission. Keep going. Keep minting. The world needs more quiet revolutions.