Spycraft for games, art, and fun with NFT ‘Steganordinals’

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) with steganography? Why not? If secret information can be hidden in any code, adding it to digital tokens like 1Sat Ordinals is just another step. 3DOrdi, the platform for creators to make and manage NFT collections, has added this feature to create a new kind of token utility, which it calls “steganordinals.” It’s not full spycraft just yet, but the technology has plenty of potential use cases to experiment with.

3DOrdi‘s initial experiment is two-sided cards. Anyone can view both sides of the card, but a secret image is hidden on the back. Only the creator can reveal what’s hidden there and pass that information on to a new owner.

It does this by utilizing the most common and widespread steganography technique, known as “Least Significant Bit” (LSB).

Using this technique, “we get one step closer to true digital ownership, where access to information is scarce, not the information itself,” said Jorge Pelaez, creator of 3DOrdi. “Now I want to see what kind of collections will emerge from on-chain content creators using this tool. It’ll be fun.”

Japanese NFT artist KURO has been among the first to try out the new feature, adding it as an extra treat to anyone buying and collecting 1sat Ordinals. Pelaez also noted that “Smart Soy,” a DJ from the Netherlands, has also created a collection using the Steganordinals process.

The first use case Pelaez suggested was in trading card games, where cards could contain secret stats, additional abilities, or extra lore only the owner can view. The hidden side of art collectibles might have “making-of” stories or a higher-resolution version of the original image, just for its owner.

The design for the “backs” of the four card types available was made by Switzerland-based artist PX1 and is based on the “Dordy” mascot. For the record, PX1 was also the creator of the very first token to use the 1Sat Ordinals protocol, back in 2023—that famous “inscription #1” NFT currently has a selling price of $1.19 million.

From the ancient practice of steganography to modern times

Steganography is the practice of “hiding” additional information in another message or block of text. It can be hidden wherever or however the data can be stored, even in physical objects. If done well, the hidden information shouldn’t be accessible to anyone looking at the original message/object, and its very presence wouldn’t be apparent.

The technique has been very useful in spycraft and in passing secret information for thousands of years. It also has plenty of mundane uses in modern times. For example, some widely used printers mark tiny yellow dots on every page they print, in a unique pattern that identifies the machine’s serial number. It can be used to bypass censorship mechanisms. It’s also a popular technique for hiding malware within otherwise benign computer code.

If anyone’s concerned that bad actors might attempt to hide malware in collectible NFTs, 3DOrdi is only allowing image files for the “hidden side” of its tokens.

With the right security practices, hiding information in NFTs like 1Sat Ordinals could have other uses beyond just entertainment. Digital tickets for concerts and other events could display a visible ticket while containing hidden information, such as seat details or VIP perks. Beyond that, it’s up to the imagination, since steganography in NFTs would have as many use cases as steganography itself.

The 3DOrdi platform has been popular in the NFT collectibles crowd in recent times, especially with the token community on social networks like Treechat. Users have used its tools to create token series and even embed mini-apps and games inside social media posts. It also has a royalties feature that lets creators earn extra “fan income” through micropayments for likes and other interactions, rather than just from selling the token itself.

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