Because Hemi anchors its chain state into Bitcoin via PoP, the claim is that this gives it better security than many traditional L2s which rely solely on their own consensus or on Ethereum. 
For example, the white paper says: “Transactions on Hemi achieve Bitcoin-level finality in just a few hours.”
This means greater resistance to re-orgs or censorship, by leveraging the strongest chain (Bitcoin) as settlement final layer.
2. Native Access to Bitcoin State + EVM Compatibility
The hVM means that developers can build smart contracts in an Ethereum-style environment while having native access to Bitcoin data (UTXOs, block headers, confirmations, etc).
This opens up new use-cases: Bitcoin restaking, Bitcoin backed lending, Bitcoin-native DeFi, etc. Conventional L2s often support Ethereum tokens but not full Bitcoin state in that way.
Key benefit: a “bridge” of sorts but deeper: the Bitcoin and Ethereum ecosystems are treated more as parts of a unified system rather than totally isolated networks.
3. Cross-Chain Interoperability / Asset Portability
Via its tunnelling / cross-chain frameworks Hemi aims to allow trust-minimized transfers of assets between Bitcoin, Ethereum and Hemi.
This is intended to avoid some of the conventional “bridge” risks (custody/trusted intermediaries) and foster asset flows and composability across the networks.
This feature is especially relevant given the growth of multi-chain DeFi and the desire to move assets freely across ecosystems.
4. Modular Framework and Extensibility
Hemi is built as a modular L2 “supernetwork” rather than simply a clone or typical roll-up. It envisions supporting “hChains” (ecosystem chains) that can use Hemi’s security-as-a-service (Bitcoin-security) and cross-chain capabilities.
Also the architecture aims to be developer-friendly and familiar (EVM tools) while providing more advanced capabilities — thus lowering the barrier for developers to build Bitcoin-aware dApps.
5. Focus on DeFi & Productivity of Bitcoin
A key narrative: move Bitcoin beyond being a passive store of value, to a “productive asset” within DeFi (staking/restaking, lending, liquidity, etc) via the Hemi network.
This aligns with the trend of “Bitcoin programmability” — enabling Bitcoin-based assets to be composable, interoperable, and productive.
