The Ordinals team, led by creator Casey Rodarmor, has introduced the “Open Ordinals Institute,” a non-profit organization aimed at advancing the Bitcoin Ordinals protocol and its reference implementation, Ord.

The Open Ordinals Institute will financially support Ordinals core developers, including the newly appointed lead maintainer, Raph, fostering an open-source contributor environment for sustained growth and high-quality contributions.

In a statement sent to Bitcoin Magazine, Raph emphasized the importance of collaboration and community engagement in the Ordinals protocol development.

“We want to create an open-source contributor environment where long-term and high-quality commitments are possible. Close collaboration and wider community engagement with Ordinals is encouraged and supported,” he said.

Operating as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, the Open Ordinals Institute will accept tax-deductible donations, enabling a transparent and sustainable funding model. Previously funded privately and through personal gifts, this shift ensures the protocol’s neutrality while supporting developers.

Ordinals core developer Ordinally echoed this sentiment in a statement, saying that the non-profit organization presents itself as “the cleanest way” to compensate developers without compromising the neutrality of the protocol.

The Ordinals.org website will facilitate community updates and resource sharing related to the Ordinals protocol development.

Donations to support the Ordinals core team and the Open Ordinals Institute can be made at Ordinals.org. The organization expects IRS approval for tax-deductible status in 2023, currently accepting Bitcoin donations.

The Open Ordinals Institute’s establishment assures a promising future for the transformative Bitcoin Ordinals protocol, facilitating its continuous growth and development.