#WrappedBTC Wrapped BTC (Wrapped Bitcoin or WBTC) is an Ethereum-based token that represents Bitcoin in the Ethereum ecosystem. Here’s a clear overview:
🔍 What is Wrapped BTC?
Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) is an ERC-20 token on the Ethereum blockchain that is backed 1:1 by Bitcoin (BTC). This means:
For every 1 WBTC in circulation, there is 1 BTC held in reserve.Users can "wrap" their BTC to receive WBTC or "unwrap" WBTC to redeem BTC.
💡 Why Wrap BTC?
DeFi AccessBTC isn’t natively compatible with Ethereum, but WBTC is. Wrapping BTC allows Bitcoin holders to:○ Use their BTC in DeFi apps (like lending, borrowing, yield farming).○ Trade BTC on Ethereum-based decentralized exchanges (DEXs) like Uniswap.Liquidity WBTC brings Bitcoin’s liquidity to Ethereum's ecosystem, benefiting DeFi projects.
🛠 How Does It Work?
Custodian SystemA custodian (e.g., BitGo) holds the BTC and issues WBTC tokens on Ethereum.MerchantsMerchants initiate the minting or burning of WBTC based on user requests.
🔐 Is WBTC Safe?
Trust-Based: Since WBTC relies on a custodian to hold BTC, it's not fully decentralized.Audited & Transparent: WBTC reserves are publicly verifiable.
🔁 Alternatives
There are other wrapped Bitcoin tokens with different mechanisms:
renBTC – backed by the Ren protocol (more decentralized).tBTC – aims to be trust-minimized and fully decentralized.