$Dog Founder Leonidas is launching a new platform ZapApp. Is there still a chance for Bitcoin on-chain NFT to "explode"?

In the past two years, the on-chain NFT ecosystem of Bitcoin (BTC) has sparked a series of disruptive experiments. Since the emergence of the Ordinals protocol in early 2023, new protocols such as Runestone, BRC-20, and Runes have been born, transforming Bitcoin, which was originally viewed as a store of value, into an experimental ground for digital artifacts, art collections, and meme culture. In a short period, the Bitcoin chain has changed from a bastion of TradFi into a new frontier of creativity and culture.

However, after experiencing a brief frenzy followed by a cooling-off period, the market began to reflect: is there still a possibility for Bitcoin NFTs to explode again? Just as this question remains unanswered, the well-known anonymous builder and founder of $DOG , LeonidasNFT, attempts innovation once more, announcing the development of a new platform called ZapApp that combines memes and trading functions, claiming to create a Memecoin trading application similar to Tinder, attempting to get investors back on their feet.

LeonidasNFT has transformed his early-created Ordinals browsing platform Ord.io into a new brand ZapApp, and has launched operations on X (formerly Twitter), sparking widespread discussion in the market and among communities. This move is not only seen as a new layout for his personal career but also regarded as a bellwether for whether the Bitcoin NFT ecosystem can experience another surge. With ZapApp set to debut, is there really a chance for Bitcoin NFTs to reach a second peak? This question has become the core focus of the entire crypto community once again.

Leonidas: NFT Archaeologist and Community Agitator

LeonidasNFT, whose real name has not been disclosed to date, is one of the most representative figures in the Bitcoin Ordinals ecosystem. He claims to be an NFT historian, collector, and developer. As early as the rise of Ethereum NFTs, he researched and unearthed forgotten early on-chain art experiments under the name “NFT archaeologist.” He emphasizes “freedom, fairness, and on-chain permanence,” opposing centralized pre-sales and monopolies by large holders. In 2023, he launched the Runestone project, conducting an airdrop with the model of “no pre-sale, no team allocation, and everyone’s participation,” which sparked huge community resonance and made Runestone the second largest NFT series by trading volume globally for a time. The meme coin he later created, $DOG , became the most active trading project in the Bitcoin ecosystem, propelled by the community.

ZapApp is here

Leonidas returns to the NFT stage, transforming the original Ord.io platform into a brand new application called ZapApp. He has updated the official account and community with the new name, preparing to promote a new round of experiments with Bitcoin NFTs. According to currently exposed information, ZapApp aims to enable the trading of runes on the Bitcoin blockchain in a faster and more convenient way, potentially supporting Apple Pay payments. It is said that the platform's trading speed could be as fast as Solana, with Gas costs absorbed by the platform, allowing users to pay only with stablecoins. Although the official complete positioning of ZapApp has not yet been clearly announced, there are speculations within the community that this could be a Bitcoin-native decentralized trading platform or possibly a Launchpad-type application.

The Reality of Bitcoin NFTs: From Technological Breakthroughs to Community Controversies

Regardless of the final form, Leonidas's move has rekindled hope for many. His past success stories often inspire strong community engagement, which is exactly the spark that the Bitcoin NFT ecosystem urgently needed after its silence. Since the advent of Ordinals, the Bitcoin blockchain has been endowed with a new meaning at the application layer. The upgrades of Taproot and Schnorr signatures have provided space for on-chain engraving and data embedding, making the statement “Bitcoin is not just money” substantively validated. Ordinals and Runes allow every Sat to be transformed into a unique digital object, and the cultural value of this concept is still fermenting. According to multiple on-chain data reports, the trading volume of Ordinals broke through 200 million USD in a short period in 2023, while the Runestone airdrop and the trading frenzy of rare Sats in 2024 have unleashed unprecedented creative energy on the Bitcoin network.

However, the structure of the Bitcoin chain was not designed for large-scale NFT transactions, as transaction costs, block capacity, and technical flexibility all limit its scalability. Furthermore, the controversy within the Bitcoin community regarding Ordinals has not disappeared. Some “fundamentalists” criticize the inscriptions for occupying block space and driving up costs, which diverges Bitcoin from its original intention of being “peer-to-peer electronic cash.” If core developers continue to resist or impose restrictions on related operations at the policy level, this ecosystem may face further resistance. Leonidas even warned that if there is censorship against Ordinals, he would not rule out promoting a fork.

The endurance is the true test for Bitcoin NFTs.

Bitcoin NFTs must go beyond mere collection or speculative hype to reignite their explosion; they need to find narratives and scenarios that can attract attention in the long term. Whether it's the collection game of rare Sats, the cultural preservation of on-chain artifacts, or future applications combining physical art, gaming, and community activities, these directions must have practical implementation to possibly ignite the next wave.

This article $Dog founder Leonidas is launching a new platform ZapApp, is there still a chance for Bitcoin on-chain NFTs to “explode”? First appeared in Chain News ABMedia.