# What is a rune?

A fungible token whose operations ride an OP_RETURN runestone; BTI decodes runes itself.

URL: https://blockspace.wiki/answers/what-is-a-rune/

A [rune](https://blockspace.wiki/glossary/rune/) is a fungible token whose operations are written in an OP_RETURN output called a runestone. Runes began at block 840,000, in April 2024. BTI decodes them natively, with ord only as an audit oracle, and identifies each rune by its etching's block and transaction. UNCOMMON•GOODS is rune #0. blockspace.to's ord counts 216,423 runes (as of block 972,320, 2026-10-20 12:17:53 UTC).

Sources:

- Blockspace Holdings records
- block.space docs: data types · https://block.space/docs/datatypes
- Blockspace Value Theory · https://block.space/docs/bvt
- ord /status (the blockspace.to ord server) · https://blockspace.to/status

Live figures: ord as of block 972,320, 2026-10-20 12:17:53 UTC

Updated: 2026-10-20