The wait is over! The BitVM Bridge has officially launched on Mainnet.
As the first functional application based on the BitVM paradigm, Bitlayer BitVM Bridge delivers a trust-minimized bridging solution for bitcoin holders, addressing critical demands as Bitcoin DeFi scales toward maturity.
By eliminating reliance on centralized intermediaries, the bridge ensures all transactions remain verifiable, secure, and decentralized.
“Over the past year, we’ve dedicated significant resources to developing the BitVM Bridge, and we’re thrilled to finally deliver this milestone to the community,” stated Kevin He, Co-founder of Bitlayer.
“Post-Mainnet deployment, our focus shifts to scaling asset compatibility and deepening integration with additional blockchain networks.”
Progressing Toward A Trust-Minimized Bridge from Today
The BitVM paradigm has evolved through multiple iterations since its conceptualization by Robin Linus.
As a core contributor to the BitVM Alliance, we believe BitVM Bridge represents the culmination of numerous optimizations and the most future-proof solution to enable seamless interoperability between Bitcoin and other blockchain ecosystems while maintaining the highest standards of security, decentralization, and user experience.
To explore BitVM Bridge workflow, check out the Technical Overview and Demonstration Cases.
Following extensive testing on Bitcoin Testnet3 and BitVMNet, the team has optimized bridge performance and infrastructure resilience, culminating in today’s Mainnet release.
Central to the BitVM Bridge is YBTC, which is a kind of token minted on the Bitlayer rollup and other supported environments when users lock their bitcoin into the BitVM smart contract.
Unlike custodial alternatives, YBTC’s security is not dependent on any single entity. Instead, it derives its integrity from the transparency and verifiability of the BitVM smart contract, which eliminates the need for trust in third-party actors.
YBTC Use Cases in DeFi
- Staking: Staking YBTC and earning yield in various BTC staking protocols.
- Lending and borrowing: Earn yield by supplying YBTC to lending markets or use it as collateral for loans.
- Trading & earning: Swap YBTC on leading DEXs on multichains and earn fees by providing liquidity to YBTC pairs.
Strategic Ecosystem Expansion
Interest in the BitVM Bridge has surged significantly in recent months. The solution has already secured integration with leading ecosystems including Sui, Base, Starknet, Arbitrum, Sonic, Plume Network, and Sundial, dramatically enhancing Bitcoin’s liquidity across these networks.
These collaborations lay crucial groundwork for expanded multi-chain interoperability, with plans to integrate additional networks.
Getting Started with BitVM Bridge Mainnet
Developers and users can now explore the BitVM Bridge with streamlined guides:
- For users: https://docs.bitlayer.org/docs/BitVMBridge/UserGuides/GetTestToken
- For developers: https://docs.bitlayer.org/docs/Build/GettingStarted/QuickStart
And please visit the documentation site for more detail:
https://docs.bitlayer.org/docs/BitVMBridge/overview
What’s Next
Given that the BitVM protocol is a large-scale undertaking similar to Optimistic Rollup for Ethereum, adhering to the principle of security first and active decentralization, we will proceed with a series of tasks in an orderly manner next, such as establishing a security committee and conducting Beta community activities, audit report release, bug bounty, open source, etc.
As always, the improvements we have made over the past year have resulted from a constant collaborative effort with the BitVM Alliance, open-source contributors, and the broader research community.
As the bridge evolves, Bitlayer remains committed to advancing the vision of the ultimate Bitcoin DeFi infrastructure.
The Mainnet launch is just the beginning. Stay tuned for protocol enhancements, new partnerships, and ecosystem incentives designed to position BitVM Bridge as the cornerstone of Bitcoin’s interconnected future.
Additionally, we again want to thank all those that participated in the testing program for helping us make the best possible user experience on BitVM Bridge.
About Bitlayer
Bitlayer is pioneering the first BitVM implementation. By merging unparalleled security with a lightning-fast smart contract engine, Bitlayer unlocks the full potential of Bitcoin DeFi. Bitlayer is committed to an open and collaborative Bitcoin DeFi ecosystem, working with partners to advance BTC Bridge, Bitcoin Layer 2 and BitVM stack, driving the future of secure, scalable, and programmable Bitcoin finance.
Learn more: https://www.bitlayer.org/
