🔐 BitVM Bridge & YBTC: The 'Golden Channel' for Bitcoin to Enter DeFi
One of Bitlayer's core breakthroughs is its creation of the BitVM Bridge — the world's first next-generation BTC cross-chain bridge based on BitVM (Bitcoin Virtual Machine) technology, and also the first trust-minimized bridging solution using a challenge-based verification mechanism!
Traditional cross-chain bridges often face security risks due to reliance on centralized custodians or complex trust assumptions, while the BitVM Bridge achieves almost trust-free BTC cross-chain transfers through innovative cryptographic design: your BTC can safely and efficiently cross to the Bitlayer network through this bridge and convert into the native token YBTC, which is pegged to BTC at a 1:1 ratio. YBTC is not only the 'gas fuel' in the Bitlayer ecosystem but also a key asset for participating in DeFi activities — you can use it to pay transaction fees, borrow stablecoins, participate in liquidity mining, and even mint NFTs, truly making BTC 'liquid'!
For example: if you hold 1 BTC and obtain 1 YBTC after crossing through the BitVM Bridge, you can deposit it in a DeFi lending protocol on Bitlayer to earn an annualized interest yield of 5%-15% — a function that traditional Bitcoin mainnet cannot achieve!
