Bitlayer Unveils Bitcoin Integration with Major Blockchain Networks

Bitlayer, the pioneering Bitcoin-focused layer-2 network, has announced a significant partnership with five major blockchain networks, including Arbitrum, Starknet, Base, SonicSVM, and Plume Network. The collaboration aims to expand Bitcoin's role beyond its traditional store of value function by integrating it with these networks through Bitlayer's innovative BitVM technology.

Historically, Bitcoin's limited scripting language has hindered the development of advanced smart contracts. However, Bitlayer's BitVM Bridge, a trust-minimized Bitcoin bridge powered by the BitVM smart contract framework, facilitates secure and efficient transfers of Bitcoin into various blockchain ecosystems. This enables BTC holders to engage directly with decentralized finance (DeFi) applications without relying on centralized intermediaries.

The announced partnerships can significantly accelerate the integration of Bitcoin in the Web3 ecosystem. Each partner plays a key role in enhancing Bitcoin's liquidity and utility within the DeFi ecosystem:

• The integration of Bitlayer BitVM bridge with Base allows Bitcoin holders to utilize their assets across Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible chains, enhancing Bitcoin's liquidity within the DeFi ecosystem.
• Arbitrum, a leading Ethereum Layer-2 solution, provides scalability and high-speed execution for BitVM-powered smart contracts and yBTC DeFi applications. Through the BitVM Bridge, Arbitrum users can bridge assets to and from Bitcoin under a trust-minimized framework, enriching Arbitrum's DeFi landscape.
• The integration with Starknet offers Bitcoin users instant transactions with minimal fees in a secure environment, leveraging STARK proofs for enhanced security.
• By integrating with Sonic, the first Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) chain, the BitVM bridge brings Bitcoin liquidity to Web3 applications, including gaming and social media platforms.
• The collaboration with Plume Network, a Layer 1 blockchain focused on real-world assets (RWA), unlocks Bitcoin's liquidity for institutional-grade financial products, bridging traditional finance with blockchain technology. It enables native BTC to flow directly into its ecosystem to access real yields and RWA staking, bridging a new era of RWAfi and BTCfi together.

The integration of yBTC (Yield Bitcoin) into these networks enhances Bitcoin's utility. yBTC is a wrapped Bitcoin asset that allows BTC holders to participate in DeFi