BOB has officially launched the BitVM bridge on the public testnet and announced the establishment of the BitVM Accelerator together with organizations including ZeroSync and Babylon.
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BOB has officially launched the BitVM bridge on the public testnet and announced the establishment of the BitVM Accelerator together with organizations including ZeroSync and Babylon.
The successful launch of the BitVM bridge has solidified BOB's position as the "home" of BTC DeFi, offering the most secure and trust-minimized approach for BTC DeFi and bitcoin yield-generating activities.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsOn March 2, the hybrid Layer2 project BOB (Build on Bitcoin) announced the official launch of its BitVM bridge on the public testnet, marking a significant milestone in the development of trust-minimized BTC DeFi. In December last year, BOB partnered with Fiamma, a Bitcoin ecosystem protocol, to successfully test the first BitVM-powered Bitcoin bridge prototype.
In addition, BOB has also announced the formation of the BitVM Accelerator Executive Working Group together with leading institutions including ZeroSync, Babylon, Anchorage, and Rockaway, aiming to drive the practical implementation and adoption of BitVM.
The release of this BitVM bridge solidifies BOB's position as the "home" of BTC DeFi, offering the most secure and trust-minimized approach for BTC DeFi and Bitcoin yield opportunities. BOB’s Bitcoin bridge is underpinned by the BitVM protocol—a revolutionary system capable of executing complex off-chain computations on Bitcoin and resolving disputes on-chain, similar in concept to Optimism on Ethereum.
BOB’s BitVM bridge enables secure BTC deposits and withdrawals on its hybrid Layer2 without relying on third-party custodians or multisig bridges, ensuring users can safely deposit and withdraw BTC as long as there is at least one honest node in the network capable of executing on-chain dispute resolution. Unlike wBTC, cbBTC, and other wrapped Bitcoin solutions, Bitcoin bridged via the BitVM bridge is non-custodial and trust-minimized.
Alexei Zamyatin, co-founder of BOB and core contributor to BitVM, said: “Eliminating the need for third-party cross-chain bridges in BTC DeFi applications is a crucial step toward unlocking the multi-trillion-dollar potential of Bitcoin in the DeFi market. On our journey to creating the most secure solution for Bitcoin in DeFi, we’ve moved from concept to BitVM 2 design, then to a BitVM bridge prototype, and now to a public testnet—all within just one year. The renaissance of Bitcoin is accelerating.”
Key Improvements of the BitVM Bridge
Compared to the BitVM bridge prototype tested in December last year, the BitVM bridge on BOB’s public testnet includes several key enhancements:
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On-chain dispute resolution: The BitVM bridge now features a challenge mechanism that ensures all transactions are correctly executed, significantly improving system security and trustworthiness.
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BOB’s BitVM smart contracts can now verify correct payments via on-chain relays, perform double-checks within provers, and validate the correctness of BOB blocks and blockchain proofs.
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Integration of BitVM into the BOB Gateway: BOB’s intent-based swap system will enable efficient depositing of Bitcoin into BOB and seamless withdrawal back to the Bitcoin mainnet.
BitVM Accelerator Executive Working Group
Additionally, BOB has launched the BitVM Accelerator Executive Working Group to accelerate the real-world implementation and adoption of BitVM and ensure its integration across the broader BTC DeFi ecosystem. This working group brings together some of the industry’s brightest minds to refine BitVM’s capabilities and unlock its full potential for both institutional and retail users.
Zamyatin added: “BitVM is far more than just a technology. To successfully create a more secure BTC DeFi environment, we must develop BitVM into a product—and the only way to do so is through deep collaboration with stakeholders. The BitVM Accelerator is an executive working group that unites BitVM builders, leading Web3 companies, and institutions that will either benefit from or operate BitVM. Our mission is to accelerate BitVM’s final implementation and ensure its development aligns with the business needs of users and operating entities.”
The BitVM Accelerator Executive Working Group recognizes that widespread adoption of BitVM requires cross-sector collaboration. It achieves real-world execution by uniting experts in staking, custody, liquidity provision, market making, research, and blockchain security. The goal of the BitVM Accelerator is to fully develop BitVM—not only as a technological breakthrough but as a practical, widely adopted solution meeting the evolving demands of the BTC DeFi space.
The BitVM Accelerator serves as an open forum where industry leaders collaborate to advance Bitcoin bridging solutions and overcome challenges that may hinder BitVM adoption. Membership in the BitVM Accelerator is free and open to all interested parties, encouraging broad participation across the ecosystem.
Founding members of the BitVM Accelerator Executive Working Group include:
Institutional Partners: Amber, Anchorage, Ankr, ChorusOne, Hex Trust, P2P, Rockaway, Unit410, UTXO, viaBTC Capital, Wintermute
Research Partners: Babylon, Bitcoin Layers, BOB, Common Prefix, Fiamma, House of ZK, RiscZero, Succinct, ZeroSync
About BOB (Build on Bitcoin)
BOB (Build on Bitcoin) is a hybrid Layer2 network that combines the strengths of Bitcoin and Ethereum, positioning itself as the “home of BTC DeFi.” Its unique Hybrid L2 model leverages the best of both ecosystems—Bitcoin’s security and dormant BTC capital, along with Ethereum’s DeFi innovation and versatility. By establishing BTC as the foundation of a new decentralized financial system, BOB unlocks novel use cases and trillions of dollars in BTC liquidity. BOB inherits Bitcoin’s network security seamlessly through the BitVM protocol and establishes trust-minimized bridges between BOB, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other L1 networks. As a result, the Hybrid L2 does not rely on third-party cross-chain bridges for interoperability, enabling liquidity to be concentrated around the Bitcoin network rather than fragmented across multiple chains.
BOB is backed by top-tier investment firms including Castle Island Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, Ledger Cathay Ventures, and IOSG.
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