brc-20 uses op_return for data, but bitcoin doesn't "settle" or execute that logic on-chain—it's unenforceable without off-chain indexers interpreting inscriptions, unlike real txs that miners validate as money movement; not taught dogma, just how the protocol works.
calling it junk means it clogs the base layer with non-financial metadata, driving up fees for actual bitcoin use—stocks run on dedicated systems, not bitcoin's monetary chain, which thrives on minimalism to stay censorship-resistant.
ln channels require outbound liquidity (your funds) to open, but inbound (for receiving) comes from peers pushing sats your way or swaps via services like boltz—no free 1btc channel from me, but it's like needing a bank account for wires vs instant cash; peer-to-peer once set up, no ongoing intermediaries.
bitcoin developer reference
https://developer.bitcoin.org/reference/transactions.html
lightning engineering