Bitlayer Labs is a highly regarded Layer 2 project in the Bitcoin ecosystem, dedicated to enhancing Bitcoin's programmability through BitVM (Bitcoin Virtual Machine) technology while maintaining its security. The project was co-founded by Charlie Hu and Kevin He, who have held core roles in well-known blockchain projects such as Polygon, Polkadot, and Huobi, and possess rich industry experience.
1. Core Technology and Innovation of Bitlayer
The core of Bitlayer is the BitVM Bridge, a trust-minimized cross-chain bridge that allows Bitcoin assets to safely enter Layer 2 and other blockchain ecosystems (such as Sui, Arbitrum, Base, etc.). Unlike traditional multi-signature bridges, the BitVM Bridge only requires one honest node to ensure security, significantly reducing trust risk.
In addition, Bitlayer is advancing Bitlayer Network 2.0, which will upgrade to a Bitcoin Rollup with the following key features:
- Bitcoin-Level Security: All transaction finality is verified by the Bitcoin mainnet.
- Sub-second Transaction Confirmation: Suitable for high-frequency trading scenarios.
- Decentralized Sequencer: Prevents single-point manipulation.
- Emergency Escape Pod Mechanism: Ensures users can safely withdraw assets in case of L2 failures.
2. Financing and Ecosystem Development
Bitlayer completed multiple rounds of financing in 2024-2025, including:
- $5 million seed round (led by Framework Ventures and ABCDE)
- $11 million Series A (led by Franklin Templeton and ABCDE)
- $9 million financing (led by Polychain Capital).
Currently, the Bitlayer ecosystem has deployed over 200 DApps, covering tracks such as DEX, lending, oracles, and Ordinals, with TVL previously exceeding $850 million.
3. Recent Developments and Controversies
- Summer 2025 launch event: Bitlayer announced the launch of the BitVM Bridge mainnet Beta and revealed the V3 architecture plan, aiming to become the ultimate infrastructure for Bitcoin DeFi.
- X account suspected of being hacked: On May 14, Bitlayer's official X account released unauthorized token distribution information, which was later deleted with a reminder for users to act cautiously.
- Controversy over collaboration with MEME project Zoomdog: On September 8, the MEME coin Zoomdog, supported by Bitlayer, was suspected of running away, with investors accusing Bitlayer of failing to effectively review partnership projects.
4. Future Outlook
Bitlayer's long-term vision is to become the core infrastructure of Bitcoin Finance (BTCFi), unlocking Bitcoin liquidity through BitVM technology while ensuring security and scalability. With the V2 mainnet upgrade and cross-chain ecosystem expansion, Bitlayer is expected to lead the Bitcoin Layer 2 space.
What do you think about the future of Bitlayer? Welcome to discuss! 🚀
