Early online Qurans struggled with accuracy due to verification and encoding issues. Now, technology advancements have paved the way for a verified and properly formatted digital Quran.
The entirety of the Quran has been inscribed onto the Bitcoin blockchain for the first time. This monumental project, known as ‘Quran on Bitcoin’, aims to digitally preserve Islam's holy book.
Announced in Paris, France, on April 22nd, 2024, the Quran on Bitcoin project utilizes Ordinals, a cutting-edge technology that allows arbitrary data to be stored on Bitcoin. This approach leverages the resilience and permanence of the Bitcoin blockchain, creating an immutable digital artifact of the Quran.
Inscriptions, special Bitcoin transactions designed to record data on Bitcoin blocks, were used to inscribe the Quran onto the decentralized network. These transactions involve sending digital data, such as text or images, along with a fee for storage and network costs. On April 14th, 2024, at block height 839199, the Quran was successfully inscribed in its totality.
To ensure the Quran is displayed accurately, a specific font designed by the King Fahd Glorious Quran Printing Complex was used for computer-based viewing on Bitcoin, underscoring the project's commitment to both authenticity and accessibility.
The digital availability of the Quran began in the 1990s, and over the years, efforts have been made to enhance accuracy, verification, and compatibility with Arabic script. Despite early challenges related to verification processes, encoding constraints, and typography optimization, advancements in technology have made it possible to access an authentic digital Quran today.
The Quran on Bitcoin project not only provides a complete, unchangeable, Unicode-compliant digital Quran text but also holds a collectible status as the first of its kind.
Accessible to anyone on the resilient Bitcoin network, the Quran on Bitcoin can be viewed through public ordinals, allowing users worldwide to experience this innovative fusion of religion and technology.
