Bitcoin News Today: Institutional Bitcoin Adoption Drives Threshold's tBTC Ecosystem Overhaul

Threshold Network has introduced a major upgrade to its tBTC protocol, streamlining Bitcoin onchain access with direct and gasless minting of tokenized Bitcoin (tBTC). The enhancements, paired with a redesigned website, aim to position tBTC as a bridge between Bitcoin's onchain capital and decentralized finance (DeFi) markets, as detailed in a Cryptointelligence article. The update addresses growing institutional adoption of Bitcoin, with corporate holdings surging to $414 billion in August 2025 and 172 listed companies collectively owning over 1 million BTC, according to the same report.

The new tBTC app simplifies the process of converting Bitcoin into DeFi-compatible assets. Users can now mint tBTC directly to supported chains—such as Ethereum, Arbitrum, and Sui—with a single Bitcoin transaction, eliminating the need for secondary approvals or Ethereum Layer 1 bridging, as described in the Cryptointelligence article. Redemptions back to Bitcoin mainnet are equally straightforward, preserving the asset's native properties while enabling participation in DeFi yield strategies and liquidity pools, according to the same report.

A key innovation is gasless minting on supported networks. Users deposit Bitcoin into a single-use address and instantly receive tBTC without paying gas fees or signing additional transactions. This feature reduces operational overhead for institutional treasuries and lowers barriers for individual users, aligning with Threshold's goal of making Bitcoin's onchain movement "as seamless as traditional finance," as noted in the Cryptointelligence article.

The upgrade also introduces a centralized dashboard for tracking user activity, including minting, redeeming, and vault participation. The "Use tBTC" section highlights integrations across DeFi protocols, while "Vaults" consolidates externally managed strategies for deploying tBTC capital. These tools reflect Threshold's shift from a standalone protocol to a comprehensive ecosystem for Bitcoin's cross-chain utility, as detailed in the Cryptointelligence article.

Callan Sarre, Threshold's co-founder and chief product officer, emphasized the redesign's focus on user clarity and control. "We've rebuilt the app to give users a unified experience. Mint, redeem, and deploy Bitcoin faster, with confidence and transparency," he said, in a Cryptointelligence article. MacLane Wilkison, CEO of Threshold Labs, noted that the scale of institutional adoption post-ETF approvals has been "extraordinary," underscoring tBTC's role in enabling secure, decentralized participation in Bitcoin's onchain markets, according to the same report.

Threshold's tBTC is now available on major ecosystems, including Ethereum, Arbitrum, and Starknet, with plans to expand integrations to further boost liquidity. The protocol, secured by a 51-of-100 threshold signer model, has processed $4.8 billion in bridge volume over five years, establishing itself as a battle-tested infrastructure for Bitcoin's cross-chain movement, according to the Cryptointelligence article.

As Bitcoin's institutional adoption accelerates—driven by $169.48 billion in U.S. spot ETF assets and record corporate holdings like MicroStrategy's $70 billion BTC reserve—Threshold's upgrades aim to solidify tBTC's position as the primary conduit for onchain Bitcoin activity, as reported in the Cryptointelligence article.