VaderAI (VADER) is a decentralized platform that allows users to join various DAOs managed by AI agents or humans. 

 are currently among the hottest assets in the crypto market, with the 

 niche featuring particularly impressive growth rates. Crypto assets that power AI agents — smart entities that carry out complex tasks online, and on web3 platforms — are a subsector widely expected to expand its footprint in the industry over the coming years. 

 (VIRTUAL) has been particularly notable for its recent strong performance. It enables users to launch autonomous AI agents for various use cases, and is home to numerous tokens and solutions focused on specific applications of AI agent technology.

Among the leading assets on the Virtuals Protocol is VaderAI (VADER), whose users invest via AI agent– and human-managed 

 (VADER) is a decentralized platform that allows users to join various DAOs managed by AI agents or humans. 

These DAOs are currently focused on the investment and trading spheres, although managed DAOs in other fields are also envisioned. By investing in a DAO on the platform, users can expect returns generated via trading activities of the DAO's AI agent or human investment manager. Many VaderAI DAOs are based on tracking an index of multiple cryptocurrencies.

The VaderAI platform carefully curates each AI agent– or human-managed DAO to minimize risk for users.

VaderAI is one of the AI agent–focused solutions leveraging the 

 (VIRTUAL), a platform designed to let users easily create and deploy autonomous AI agents.

The platform has its own AI agent, VaderAI, that creates and manages several DAO-based investment indices. These are comprised of multi-token funds with different 

. Users who invest in the funds managed by the VaderAI investment agent can expect return levels commensurate with the token composition of each index. As of mid-January 2025, Vader AI offers two investment opportunities — VaderAI Small Cap and VaderAI Micro Cap. Another agent-managed index, VaderAI Mid Cap, is expected to be released soon.

Vader Fun, a component of the wider platform, lets users participate in various DAOs. It acts as the key orchestrator of the DAOs within the Vader ecosystem. There are two types of DAOs users can join on Vader Fun — passive DAOs and active DAOs. Both varieties are curated, but differ in terms of the investment strategies they pursue.

Passive DAOs focus on minimizing risk to DAO participants, while delivering consistent returns by tracking tokens that meet certain criteria in terms of their risk profiles. These DAOs meet specific criteria, such as limitation on the maximum exposure to a single token, minimum liquidity thresholds and a reference to an established benchmark. Such stipulations ensure that the tokens are highly liquid and easily tradable, making passive DAOs a safer, more stable option for participants.

In contrast, active DAOs provide more freedom to the DAO’s investment manager, whether an AI agent or a human, in terms of the strategies they might pursue.

 AI agent based on X (formerly Twitter) — VaderAI KOL. This agent regularly posts about the crypto market, provides investment insights and delivers news on the performance of the DAOs within the VaderAI ecosystem.

VaderAI KOL established an account on X in November 2024, and in just three months has gained nearly 30,000 followers. One intriguing feature of the VaderAI KOL agent is the functionality to programmatically tweet about coins airdropped into its wallet. This can be useful for token creators who want to feature their assets as sponsored posts. 

 (SOL)–based network addresses to receive token airdrops for sponsored tweets.

VaderAI’s native crypto, VADER, is a token issued on both the 

 chain and Solana. VADER is primarily used for 

, through which users can earn additional rewards and gain access to exclusive offers and opportunities.

VADER was issued in November 2024, with no supply lockup periods or other limitations on circulation. The token’s current total and circulating supply is 996,739,513, and its maximum supply is specified at 1 billion. While most of the supply is publicly available, 36% is reserved by the project's team for marketing and platform development purposes.

VaderAI is another innovative AI agent–focused platform launched via the increasingly popular Virtuals Protocol. Investment DAOs managed by curated AI agents are an intriguing concept that may find more adoption in the future, depending upon how successful these agents are at managing their DAO members' funds. 

If the investor community sees healthy returns from VaderAI's DAOs, the platform will establish itself as a significant AI-driven investment manager within web3. Additionally, as VaderAI develops, agent-driven DAOs may find use cases well beyond the crypto finance sphere, specializing in activities like gaming, social media community-building and more.

Intermediate

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VaderAI by Virtuals (VADER): Orchestrating DAOs and AI Leadership

pSTAKE Finance is a BTC yield and liquid staking protocol offering two products — fixed-yield Earn for retail users and YBTC LSTs for institutions. Learn more.

 in crypto, but one major obstacle for many investors is the lack of liquidity for staked assets. Staked tokens are locked up, preventing users from accessing or using their holdings in other activities. pSTAKE Finance is changing this dynamic by enabling an innovative liquid staking solution for BTC. This article dives into pSTAKE Finance, how it enables Bitcoin liquid staking on Babylon and its potential as an investment opportunity.

 is a Bitcoin yield and liquid staking protocol that offers two products — fixed-yield Earn for retail users and YBTC for institutions. These two products address distinct user needs, enhancing accessibility for both segments.

pSTAKE Finance is designed to solve one of the most pressing challenges in the cryptocurrency staking ecosystem: making Bitcoin yield-generating with Bitcoin Staking. Traditionally, 

 requires users to lock their assets, thus preventing them from being used for other financial activities. pSTAKE addresses this limitation by providing tailored solutions for both retail and institutional users, enabling them to earn reliable Bitcoin yields while retaining flexibility.

 protocol designed to provide reliable Bitcoin yields through staking on 

. It addresses two core user groups — retail users and institutions — with tailored solutions that make Bitcoin staking secure, accessible and rewarding.

For Retail Users: Fixed-Yield Earn Product

Retail users can access a fixed-yield product similar to 

). By depositing BTC into the pSTAKE platform, users earn staking rewards through Babylon's secure infrastructure. This solution is designed to make Bitcoin staking straightforward and accessible, even for users new to 

 (DeFi). Rewards are boosted through PSTAKE incentives, enhancing the appeal of this option for retail participants seeking passive income.

For institutional users, pSTAKE provides a noncustodial Bitcoin 

 token is backed 1:1 by BTC and supports LayerZero 

, making it accessible across Ethereum, BNB Chain and 

. YBTC offers additional yield opportunities through advanced DeFi strategies, such as 

 and liquidity farming, ensuring flexibility and profitability for institutions managing large-scale Bitcoin holdings.

pSTAKE enables users to stake native BTC directly on the Bitcoin network, minimizing risks and eliminating the need for 

 or third-party custody. This design ensures security and simplicity in the staking process.

Institutions staking BTC receive YBTC, a liquid ERC-20 token that represents their staked assets. YBTC is fully backed by Bitcoin, maintaining liquidity and allowing holders to trade or deploy it in DeFi protocols for additional returns. pSTAKE empowers Institutions to generate yield on their Bitcoin while they maintain full custody over their assets, a key differentiator for Institutional Bitcoin Staking.

’s interoperability standard, YBTC can operate seamlessly across multiple chains. This functionality unifies BTCFi use cases and provides greater flexibility for DeFi integration.

pSTAKE relies on Babylon’s robust security-sharing protocol that leverages Bitcoin’s battle-tested 

 (PoW) network. By converting BTC into slashable assets, Babylon deters malicious behavior, ensuring the safety of staked assets.

The pSTAKE Finance team has achieved remarkable milestones, including several innovative solutions, and outlined the following ambitious plans for the future.

The year 2024 was a transformative one for pSTAKE, marked by significant achievements in both product innovation and ecosystem growth. The protocol launched its Bitcoin liquid staking solution on Babylon, becoming the first such platform to accept native BTC deposits. This was accompanied by the introduction of a noncustodial Bitcoin staking product tailored for institutions, reinforcing pSTAKE’s commitment to security and flexibility.

Key integrations with Binance, Bybit, OKX and Bitget have enabled seamless Bitcoin staking through pSTAKE’s 

 wallets, while support for both UniSat Wallet and Leather Bitcoin wallet has further expanded accessibility. These efforts have fueled remarkable development, with pSTAKE achieving 9X growth in 

The PSTAKE token also reached new heights, debuting on 

 and Blast. The “Stake PSTAKE, Earn BTC” feature launched on Base L2, with over 6.4 million tokens staked, showcasing strong user engagement. Additionally, PSTAKE became the first BTCFi token to launch on Binance Alpha, setting a benchmark for the sector.

Looking ahead, pSTAKE is poised to solidify its leadership in the BTCFi ecosystem with a product-led growth strategy. The focus will be on offering two distinct solutions: a simple fixed-yield product for retail users, and a tailored Bitcoin LST for institutions and 

. This approach ensures that pSTAKE can address diverse user needs while still driving sustainable growth. Key objectives for 2025 include the following.

With its clear vision and ambitious road map, pSTAKE is well-positioned to lead the BTCFi revolution, empowering users to unlock the full potential of their Bitcoin assets.

The PSTAKE token drives governance and incentives within the pSTAKE protocol. By holding and staking PSTAKE, users play an active role in guiding the protocol's future, thereby contributing to its security and long-term success. The token also rewards core contributors for their efforts while discouraging harmful actions that could undermine the system.

Launched with a total supply of 500 million tokens, PSTAKE's distribution is carefully designed to prioritize decentralized governance and provide fair incentives for key contributors who drive the protocol forward.

 $0.12611 by 2025, $0.079072 by 2026 and $0.156502 by 2030, indicating a promising rise over the long term. DigitalCoinPrice is slightly more optimistic, 

 of $0.0981 by 2025, $0.12 by 2026 and $0.25 by 2030. 

However, Gate.io is weighing in with more conservative estimates, forecasting an average price of $0.0479 for 2025, $0.05197 for 2026 and $0.10 by 2030. These outlooks reflect the different factors considered by each platform, but all of them signal that PSTAKE could see steady growth in the years ahead.

While these projections offer a range of perspectives, several fundamental drivers could influence PSTAKE's future value:

Looking to trade pSTAKE Finance tokens? Bybit now offers the PSTAKE/USDT Spot trading pair. To get started, simply create an account on Bybit, fund it with cryptocurrency and navigate to the 

PSTAKE Finance presents a unique solution by enabling liquid staking across multiple blockchains. Backed by Binance Labs and supported by major investors like Sequoia Capital, DeFiance Capital and Galaxy Digital, the protocol aims to address the liquidity issues associated with staking by issuing YBTC, which can be traded or used in DeFi applications. This innovation allows every day retail users and institutions to generate yield on their Bitcoin, positioning pSTAKE as a key player in BTCFi. Its road map includes further integrations , TVL growth, and increased accessibility to the PSTAKE Token and its staking utility, adding to its growing appeal.

Price forecasts for PSTAKE show potential long-term growth, with estimates ranging from $0.0479 in 2025 to $0.25 by 2030. The protocol’s solid partnerships and decentralized governance model further strengthen its prospects. Its strategic approach to tokenomics and its expansion into key blockchain ecosystems firmly position PSTAKE to become an essential tool for crypto investors looking to maximize their returns while maintaining flexibility. 

However, as with any investment, there are inherent risks, and past performance isn’t indicative of future results. Investors should carefully consider their risk tolerance and 

pSTAKE Finance champions the solution of BTCFi yields with Bitcoin Staking on Babylon across various blockchains. Its future-focused road map and strong partnerships make it an intriguing option for investors seeking passive income in the crypto space. However, as with any investment, investors should tread with caution.

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pSTAKE Finance (PSTAKE): Higher Yields With BTC Liquid Staking

Dive into Story, a Layer 1 blockchain built to tokenize global intellectual property (IP), a multitrillion-dollar industry.

Despite the fact that global intangible assets' value 

 in 2023, existing blockchains aren’t suitable for efficiently handling intellectual property (IP) management. Story aims to change this with the world's first 

 (L1) chain that’s been specifically built for IP. In this article, you’ll learn what Story is, who founded and invested in the project, how it works and what its ecosystem looks like. Let's get started!

 is a Layer 1 blockchain network built purposely for intellectual property (IP). Tapping into a multitrillion-dollar industry, it tokenizes IP, such as 

, AI models, songs and image rights, and embeds attributions, royalty agreements and usage terms directly into its chain. As a decentralized and transparent solution for intellectual property management, Story offers IP holders enhanced IP protection, seamless collaboration and access to new revenue opportunities. The project's intentional blockchain comes in especially handy in today's increasingly AI-powered economy.

The Story protocol aims to provide an effective solution to the lack of rightful compensation for IP owners who share their work online. Even if their works become valuable and popular, original creators are not fairly rewarded or even credited for their ideas. Artificial intelligence (AI) models are trained on (and produce) copyrighted data, yet the current IP system can't keep up with the massive popularity of AI-generated media. To avoid discouraging creators from sharing their ideas with the world, Story has implemented built-in protections in its L1 chain to automatically credit IP owners, and to ensure they receive fair compensation for their work.

Story was founded in 2022 by Jason Levy, Jason Zhao and Seung Yoon Lee to address the growing challenges between IP, creativity and AI.

To date, Story has raised $134.3 million in funds across three rounds. Its most notable investors include Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Samsung Next, Mirana, Polychain Capital and Endeavor. Among these backers, a16z has played the most significant role, with the venture capital fund leading all three of the IP blockchain's funding rounds.

 software development kit (SDK) and is fully compatible with the 

. Its purpose-built blockchain leverages the unique 

 to enable anyone to on-ramp their IP to Story. Once registered on-chain, IP Assets (IPAs) are represented in the form of blockchain-based ERC-721 NFTs. If intellectual property resides in the off-chain world, owners can first mint their NFTs and then register them afterward. Each IPA consists of an on-chain NFT and an associated IP account in 

Despite being on-chain, Story enforces IPA terms and minted License Tokens via an off-chain legal contract called the 

 (PIL). Together with the Proof-of-Creativity protocol, PIL makes all registered IP programmable, enabling automated licensing and rights management via Story. It’s a real, off-chain legal contract that defines specific license terms for the legal licensing of IP Assets.

Story uses a wide range of modules for managing and enforcing IP rights, including the following.

You can find out more about how Story works by visiting the project's 

 of the Agent Transaction Control Protocol for Intellectual Property (Agent TCP/IP). It’s an experimental framework that enables agents to trade IP with each other. Examples include training data, investment strategies, creative style and more, which agents can exchange and monetize autonomously. Born as the result of a weeklong sprint at Story's skunkworks AI Agent Lab, Agent TCP/IP was developed in collaboration with organizations and individuals, such as Virtuals, Zerebro's ZerePy and ai16z's Eliza.

Story's ever-growing ecosystem includes numerous partners and participants. With use cases ranging from art and AI models to storytelling and fashion, some of the most notable players in Story's network are the AI storytelling platform Sekai, the Mahojin Remix AI Layer , the Color IP marketplace and the intellectual property-focused Telegram Koni Story mini app. You can learn more about Story's ecosystem 

Story takes a unique approach to intellectual property management, addressing key challenges in attribution, licensing and fair compensation in an AI-driven economy. With its purpose-built Layer 1 blockchain, the platform enables creators to tokenize and protect their IP while unlocking new revenue opportunities.

Backed by nearly $135 million in funding and supported by major investors like a16z crypto and Samsung Next, Story is well-positioned to take a leading role in the evolution of digital rights management. As it moves toward its mainnet launch in Q1 2025, Story’s innovative features and ever-growing ecosystem are set to redefine the way we create, license and monetize intellectual property.

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Story: The World's First IP Blockchain

Experienced traders who become Copy Trading Gold&FX Master Traders share their trading expertise, allowing Followers to automatically copy their positions.

Want to monetize your trading expertise and build a following in the forex and commodities markets? Bybit's Copy Trading Gold&FX platform enables skilled traders to earn profit-sharing rewards by letting others automatically copy their trading strategies.

But what exactly is a Master Trader, and how can you get started? This guide breaks down what Gold&FX Master Trading is, its benefits, key requirements, how to apply — and whether it's the right path for your trading career.

–based copy trading system that enables investors to automatically replicate the trading strategies of experienced traders across forex, commodities and market indices.

With MT5's professional infrastructure, Master Traders can execute positions that are automatically copied by their Followers while earning up to 15% profit share from successful trades. This creates a mutually beneficial environment in which expertise is rewarded while newer traders access established strategies.

Who Is a Bybit Copy Trading Gold&FX Master Trader?

A Gold&FX Master Trader is an experienced trader who shares their trading expertise on Bybit's MT5 platform, allowing Followers to automatically copy their positions in forex, indices and commodities markets. Master Traders can earn up to 15% profit share from their Followers' successful trades, with shares distributed weekly.

Benefits of Being a Bybit Copy Trading Gold&FX Master Trader

Master Traders on Bybit Copy Trading Gold&FX can earn the following benefits.

Master Traders are able to monetize their expertise by earning up to 15% profit share from their Followers' trades. Since success and Follower growth directly increase earning potential, this creates opportunities for substantial passive income.

The platform implements a High water mark (HWM) principle for profit distribution, releasing rewards only when trading results surpass previous performance peaks. Profit shares are calculated weekly and distributed every Sunday at midnight (MT5 server time, which is UTC+3 during DST, UTC+2 during Standard Time).

Master Traders have access to a comprehensive suite of traditional financial markets, including forex pairs, commodities and indices. This diverse range of trading instruments enables them to diversify strategies and broaden trading opportunities across multiple asset classes.

Master Traders can start with one Follower, and scale up to 300 concurrent Followers as they demonstrate consistent performance. This progression allows Master Traders to build their reputations, increasing profit-sharing income as they prove their expertise.

The MetaTrader 5 platform delivers institutional-grade infrastructure with 

, comprehensive market analysis features and high-speed execution capabilities. This trading environment enables Master Traders to execute strategies and analyze market opportunities with professional precision.

Master Traders can adjust their profit-sharing ratio at any time to optimize strategies based on market conditions and Follower engagement. The platform handles all technical aspects of 

, allowing Master Traders to fully focus on executing trading strategies.

What to Know Before Applying to Be a Bybit Copy Trading Gold&FX Master Trader

Following are the key requirements and considerations for becoming a Master Trader.

How to Apply to Become a Bybit Copy Trading Gold&FX Master Trader

The application process consists of two main phases: submitting your application, and setting up your MT5 account. Carefully follow the steps below to become a Master Trader.

 and log in to your Bybit account. If you don’t have a Bybit Subaccount, click on the profile icon, select 

and create a new Subaccount, following the on-screen instructions.

: After you’ve created a Subaccount, hover your cursor over the 

. This will take you to the Master Trader application page.

: Read the Master Trader Agreement carefully, and check the box stating 

I have understood and agreed to the above agreement

: Fill in the following required information:

: Review all information, and check (✓) the box to agree to MT5 Terms and Conditions. Then, click on 

: In the confirmation window, review the information and click on 

: Once your application is successful, you’ll receive an approval email. Open it, and click on the 

 link in the email to create a new password.

 to set your MT5 Account password. If you haven’t already done so, set up Google Authentication on your Gold&FX Master Trader Subaccount by following this 

: Select the type of password you’d like to reset. The pop-up window has two options:

 and click on the download icon to install MT5 on your device. 

: Set up Google Authentication for your Gold&FX Master Trader Subaccount (if you haven’t already done so). Then, follow the security setup guide provided by Bybit.

: Once you’ve successfully downloaded MT5, launch the application, and log in with your credentials. Then, verify access to trading features.

Congratulations! You are now a Gold&FX Master Trader. Switch to your Gold&FX Master Trader Subaccount and MT5 Account to start Copy Trading.

Should You Apply to Be a Bybit Copy Trading Gold&FX Master Trader?

Applying to become a Gold&FX Master Trader is worth considering if you:

Before applying, carefully evaluate your trading experience and commitment level. While no prior performance record is required, your success as a Master Trader will depend upon maintaining consistent returns and building trust with your Followers.

Bybit Copy Trading Gold&FX transforms trading expertise into a scalable business opportunity through its Master Trader program. With detailed platform resources, profit-sharing potential and room for growth, Bybit Copy Trading Gold&FX provides a clear path to building a meaningful presence in traditional financial markets.

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Bybit Copy Trading Gold&FX Master Trader: Your Path to Elite Earnings

Bybit Learn

Bitcoin

Bitcoin's DeFi ecosystem, known as BTCFi, is made up of a variety of projects such as BitVM, Bitlayer, Bitcoin Ordinals and the Runes protocol.

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For years after its introduction in 2009, the 

 (BTC) blockchain remained an environment used exclusively for asset transfers and storage. The rise of 

 (ETH) as an alternative to traditional financial systems in 2017–2018 seemed to ignore Bitcoin, the world's oldest blockchain, and its vast potential. Many at that time assumed that Bitcoin's relevance in the industry would decline, as 

 (DApps) elevated the status of Ethereum. However, it didn't take long for the Bitcoin community to come back with answers, some utilizing sidechains and other 

 solutions, and others leveraging the chain's own native mechanisms.

In the past few years, the ecosystem of apps and decentralized platforms that enable Bitcoin-focused DeFi — or BTCFi, as it's come to be known — has flourished. BTCFi is now a growing world, featuring efficient payment solutions, smart contract sidechains, fungible token protocols and even a technology for issuing Bitcoin-based NFTs. 

The exciting world of BTCFi still lacks the sophistication and programmability muscle of Ethereum's DeFi sector, but it's catching up fast. In this review, we’ll take a closer look at some of the critical apps and platforms that power BTCFi, a sector that leverages the potential of the world's largest crypto asset, the BTC coin. We’ll also discuss the key differences between the emerging BTCFi ecosystem and the established Ethereum DeFi universe.

Understanding Decentralized Finance (DeFi)

The launch of Ethereum in 2015 is often considered the starting point for the DeFi industry. For the first time, a popular smart contract–capable blockchain arrived on the scene, opening up opportunities for DeFi solutions such as 

 (DEXs), lending and borrowing protocols, and other crypto-based finance operations. However, it wasn't until 2017–2018 that the DeFi field really took off, with the introduction of pioneering protocols like 

These DApps and their business models were made possible thanks to Ethereum's smart contract functionality, which enabled complex logic and transaction execution capabilities on the blockchain through the 

While early DeFi protocols represented a wide variety of niches, five areas quickly emerged as the most popular and dominant within the overall DeFi ecosystem:

A few years later, another major category — 

 solutions — also became a prominent niche within the DeFi industry.

Bitcoin missed the early DeFi revolution, largely due to its absence of native smart contract capabilities. However, as early as 2018 and 2019, the first solutions aimed at enabling Bitcoin-based DeFi, or BTCFi, began to emerge. Some of these projects revolved around smart contract–capable Layer 2 sidechains linked to the Bitcoin network. Others championed the idea of 

 (e.g., wrapped Bitcoin, or WBTC) that could be transferred to Ethereum and used within this chain's leading protocols, such as AAVE, Curve Finance and Compound for collateral provision, swaps and other popular DeFi transactions.

The BTCFi field received a major boost in November 2021 with the introduction of Bitcoin's 

 upgrade, which introduced the functionality of batching multiple digital signatures for processing. These signatures are used on Bitcoin to verify transactions. Taproot’s practical advantages include significantly improved transaction processing and less bloat on the network. As a result, more complex transactions could be processed in less time and with more modest block space requirements. In turn, the ability to process more transactions in a more complex way led to a flurry of BTCFi activity and the emergence of new projects on the network.

In the past couple of years, newer BTCFi projects — such as BitVM, Bitlayer, Bitcoin Ordinals and the Runes protocol — have further advanced the sector, bringing it much closer to Ethereum's still dominant DeFi capabilities.

Compared to Ethereum's giant DeFi ecosystem, BTCFi is still a small world. However, BTCFi is catching up quickly, despite its somewhat late start. Below are some of the key points that distinguish Bitcoin DeFi from Ethereum DeFi:

Launched in July 2024 by the Lighting Labs team, who also created Lightning Network (which we'll cover shortly), 

 is a protocol built on the Taproot upgrade that enables the issuance and transfer of a wide variety of crypto assets on the Bitcoin blockchain. These assets are stored within 

 (UTXO), and can easily be transferred as part of standard Bitcoin transactions. The protocol stores the metadata off-chain to reduce the load on the Bitcoin network.

While Taproot Assets was originally built to facilitate 

 settlement on Bitcoin, users can now use it to create all kinds of assets on Bitcoin, including both fungible tokens and 

 (NFTs). These assets can easily be transferred as part of regular Bitcoin transactions, and can also be issued and transferred within Lightning Network for low-cost, highly scalable transfers, thereby running little risk of congesting the Bitcoin network.

 is used not only for Taproot Assets transfers, but also for a wide variety of Bitcoin transactions. Launched in 2018 by Lightning Labs, this Layer 2 solution lets users transact much more efficiently and cost-effectively as compared to native Bitcoin transfers. When two transacting parties use Lightning Network, the platform establishes a dedicated one-to-one channel for them for efficient communication. The parties commit to the channel by first bonding an amount of BTC on the underlying Bitcoin blockchain to open the channel. Then, the channel is opened and can be used for transacting, with all of the transactions processed 

The off-chain transaction mode allows Lightning Network to swiftly process a large amount of transfers at low cost, thus avoiding delays and high fees typically associated with the Bitcoin network. In fact, some of the most popular use cases for this solution are for micropayments and high-volume transfers.

Ethereum's DApp functionality has been supported by the blockchain's processing engine — EVM. For years, Bitcoin lacked a processing engine that would support programming logic and smart contracts. This all changed with the introduction of 

BitVM is a computational engine that’s designed to enable Turing-complete programming logic on Bitcoin. This opens up the opportunity to directly create DApps with advanced functionality and logic on the blockchain. While BitVM supports somewhat sophisticated programming logic for Bitcoin, it has one key limitation — the engine natively supports only two-party interactivity.

This limits, to a certain degree, the kind of DApps that can be used with BitVM. Any solutions that require only two-way interactions (e.g., one-to-one payment systems), can work well with the engine. However, more complex DApps, which normally require multi-party transactional ability, can't natively be accommodated by BitVM. Despite this limitation, BitVM is one of the key innovations opening up ways to create functional DApps on Bitcoin.

 (STX) is a Layer 2 solution that’s capable of hosting fully-fledged smart contract functionality and DApps on Bitcoin, as well as leveraging Bitcoin for security and settlement. This allows DApps hosted on Stacks to utilize the network's smart functionality while benefiting from the security of Bitcoin’s PoW network.

Stacks has its own block validation model, called proof of transfer (PoX). Stacks' blocks are anchored to Bitcoin, with the latter ultimately used for transaction validation. Using its anchor to Bitcoin, Stacks settles all transactions on Bitcoin via periodically transferred batches.

One area in which smart contracts have been used extensively on Ethereum is for NFTs. Due to Bitcoin’s lack of native smart functionality, its environment had been deprived of NFTs up until early 2023. That’s when developer Casey Rodarmor introduced the 

 protocol, a unique way of creating NFT-like assets on Bitcoin without using smart contracts.

 — the smallest unit of a Bitcoin — on the network can be uniquely identified from its position within each mined block. The Ordinals protocol specifies a way to inscribe pieces of data (e.g., text or image) into a uniquely identifiable satoshi, essentially opening up a route to creating Bitcoin-based distinct digital artifacts, such as NFTs.

As of mid-September 2024, the Ordinals protocol remains the primary way to create Bitcoin NFTs. The 

 of these digital artifacts on Bitcoin’s network is approximately 75 million.

 is another innovative technology introduced by Casey Rodarmor for the Bitcoin ecosystem. In the section on Taproot Assets above, we noted how that protocol leverages Bitcoin UTXOs to create tokens. The Runes protocol works similarly at the basic level and is also compatible with Lightning Network. 

Runes establishes a way to create fungible crypto assets on Bitcoin by attaching key token properties to Bitcoin UTXOs. However, there are significant differences between Taproot Assets and Runes. Unlike Taproot Assets, which stores token metadata off-chain, Runes is a purely on-chain solution. It's been lauded as a highly secure and lightweight way to handle fungible crypto assets on the Bitcoin chain.

As of mid-September 2024, there are close to 100,000 Runes tokens in existence, with the leading token, 

 (DOG), having amassed a market cap of around $257 million. The majority of popular Runes tokens are classified as meme coins.

 is a Layer 2 blockchain platform that leverages the BitVM engine described above. It represents the first widely known implementation of BitVM technology. Bitlayer acts as a processing medium that handles transactions and then settles them on the underlying Bitcoin chain. The platform, however, isn't just about BitVM — it also features a high degree of compatibility with the Ethereum ecosystem. Using its Layered Virtual Machine (LVM) technology, Bitlayer makes it easy to port Ethereum-based solutions to the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Programming code written in an EVM-compatible language like Solidity or Vyper easily compiles into a Bitlayer-compliant format, which greatly simplifies DApp porting and communicating between the Ethereum and Bitlayer environments. As such, Bitlayer is among the few platforms that enjoy both 100% EVM compatibility and the much-heralded security of Bitcoin.

Rootstock (RSK) is a Layer 2 solution that combines EVM compatibility with Bitcoin's security protection. With its mainnet launch dating back to January 2018, Rootstock is the oldest Layer 2 sidechain servicing Bitcoin. It features smart contract functionality, and is one of the key ways for developers to launch and operate Bitcoin-linked DApps.

The Rootstock blockchain's primary crypto asset, RBTC, is pegged to BTC at a rate of 1:1. Users can transfer their BTC to Rootstock, which then converts it to RBTC for use within the platform's ecosystem. At any time, users can reclaim their BTC and transfer funds back to Bitcoin. Besides smart contract functionality, what sets Rootstock apart from the native Bitcoin chain is its superior scalability and lower transaction costs. For instance, while the standard block confirmation time on Bitcoin is about 10 minutes, it's just 30 seconds on Rootstock. 

Rootstock’s shorter transaction confirmation time and full EVM compatibility make it an excellent environment for DApps to tap into the potential of the BTC ecosystem. At the same time, the platform has specifically focused its efforts on enabling DeFi use cases and attracting partner projects in the niche of decentralized trading.

Like Rootstock, Liquid Network is another longtimer among Bitcoin Layer 2 platforms. It launched its mainnet in September 2018, and has proven to be among the leading solutions to address Bitcoin's high transaction costs and poor scalability. As with Rootstock, Liquid Network is a Bitcoin sidechain that maintains a BTC-pegged asset, Liquid Bitcoin (L-BTC). Users can swap their BTC for L-BTC and then use the funds within Liquid Network's ecosystem for faster and more reliable asset transfers.

However, similarities between the two sidechains end here. Unlike Rootstock, Liquid Network has no native smart contract functionality. Its platform is designed primarily to improve the scalability and costs of asset transfers and to issue stablecoin assets. Like Lightning Network, it focuses on payments and transfers. The difference, however, is that Lightning Network is optimized for small or micro transfers, while Liquid Network is more suitable for medium and large asset transfers.

 (BADGER) is a leading DeFi platform that has championed the concept of linking the Bitcoin and Ethereum worlds. Launched on Ethereum, Badger’s key platform leverages wrapped Bitcoin assets, such as 

, across Ethereum's rich ecosystem of DeFi apps. While not a native Bitcoin solution, Badger plays a vital role in expanding the utility of BTC to additional ecosystems beyond the Bitcoin network.

BTC (or rather its wrapped variations) is used on Badger as a form of collateral for DeFi operations. Badger offers a dedicated bridging solution, the Badger Bridge, to easily transfer BTC to the platform wrapped as one of the two popular wrapped tokens — RenBTC or WBTC. These tokens can then be used in various DeFi apps to earn yield or act as collateral. Both of the wrapped Bitcoin tokens supported by Badger are quite popular, although RenBTC is a less prominent player in the field than WBTC. Currently the second-highest-capped wrapped token in the industry, WBTC enjoys vast popularity with a market cap of $8.6 billion.

Bitcoin DeFi apps offer several distinct advantages to traders, developers and project operators. First, there's the security factor — Bitcoin is considered a highly secure environment even by the stringent standards of the blockchain industry. Arguably, Bitcoin has an advantage in this area, compared to Ethereum and most other smart contract chains. Secondly, since BTCFi is a less mature and overcrowded environment than Ethereum DeFi, there are unique opportunities for traders to benefit from its less efficient markets. 

The third advantage is relevant specifically for NFT enthusiasts. Unlike Ethereum NFTs, which store their artwork or other media off-chain while the tokens’ metadata is kept on Ethereum, Bitcoin NFTs — supported by the Ordinals protocol — are stored fully on-chain. All of the metadata and actual media files related to an NFT are kept on Bitcoin. This provides benefits both in terms of security and greater intellectual rights protection.

Finally, BTCFi offers developers and operators a unique benefit: Since BTCFi is an emerging area, there are opportunities to present first-of-its-kind solutions for the ecosystem — something that’s considerably harder to do in the cutthroat world of Ethereum DeFi.

Despite Bitcoin's well-regarded security, BTCFi does have its risks. Some BTCFi solutions rely heavily on off-chain processing, or on the use of sidechains. These environments may not have the same security profile as Bitcoin itself. Secondly, lower liquidity levels may increase losses, due to higher 

Thirdly, the smaller ecosystem of DApps may limit your choice of trading platforms. In addition, the use of wrapped tokens essentially moves your BTC assets to other blockchain ecosystems, which may not be as secure as the Bitcoin chain. There are, of course, also additional transaction costs due to the need to wrap and unwrap tokens.

What Is Bitcoin DeFi: The Rise of BTCFi

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