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How to bridge BTC to DeFi: native Bitcoin in DeFi
Wrapped tokens used to be the only way into DeFi. Now bitcoin-native dapps let your BTC earn yield and move across EVM chains with real cross-chain settlement behind it.
Bridges
Numbers
Proven performance
TL;DR
Key takeaways
Native BTC can now enter DeFi without custodial wrapping like wBTC — real cross-chain settlement runs behind it.
BTCFi total value locked jumped 2,767% through 2024 into 2025, per Binance Research.
THORChain, Chainflip, Rootstock, and BitVM each tackle native BTC movement with different tech.
Symbiosis bridges BTC to chains like Ethereum, BNB, ZKsync, Merlin and Rootstock — BTC in, token out.
Symbiosis uses TSS, Relayers and a BTC Portal, no central custody, audited by Decurity, settling in minutes.
5 minute reading
Bridges
The dawn of BTCFi
BTCFi – short for Bitcoin Finance – is the emerging world of decentralized finance that actually uses Bitcoin itself, not a placeholder version of it. Beyond advancements in Bitcoin’s programmability (think Taproot, Layer 2s, and sidechains), BTC now has a newfound agility thanks to modern bridging solutions.
As a result, users can provide liquidity to DEXs that support native BTC, stake BTC or rBTC on yield protocols, use BTC as collateral in lending markets without needing to port it to Ethereum, and even participate in synthetic stablecoins and perpetuals on Bitcoin-native DeFi rails.
According to Binance Research, the total value locked (TVL) in BTCFi protocols has surged 2,767% throughout 2024 and into 2025. That kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident – it signals that serious infrastructure is finally in place.
Approaches to unwrapping BTC
Here’s a look at where BTC bridging stands today.
THORChain is a decentralized exchange protocol focused on native asset settlement including BTC, ETH, and BNB without the need for wrapping or intermediaries.
THORChain is the original DeFi protocol for native cross-chain transfers with a live mainnet since 2021 – built from the ground up for native asset settlement. Instead of wrapping and bridging, users convert native Layer 1 assets directly, with no intermediaries. THORChain achieves this using its own Tendermint-based appchain and a unique architecture of cross-chain observations and decentralized vaults secured by Threshold Signature Schemes (TSS). RUNE, the native asset, powers settlement across all pools and acts as the bonding asset for validators—ensuring liquidity depth, pricing efficiency, and security.
Under the hood, THORChain runs the largest open-validator TSS vaults in production. Node operators must bond RUNE to join the validator set, with rotating membership to create a truly decentralized and capture resistant validator set with an adherence to economic security to reduce risk of validator collusion. The protocol currently supports native transfers across Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB Chain, Avalanche, Dogecoin, Litecoin, Base and more.
Chainflip is a decentralized, cross-chain exchange purpose-built for native asset exchanges – without the need for wrapping.
Built on its own appchain, Chainflip employs the FROST (Flexible Round-Optimized Schnorr Threshold) signature scheme, enabled by Taproot, to securely bridge Bitcoin with EVM and non-EVM chains.
The protocol combines a Uniswap v3-style AMM with RFQ functionality to offer just-in-time liquidity and optimal capital efficiency. This hybrid model enables low-slippage transactions at competitive prices, regardless of trade size. Unique to Chainflip is a swap acceleration feature that reduces Bitcoin settlement times by up to 75%, significantly improving UX. Liquidity providers earn native BTC yield, and the platform’s validator-based architecture ensures secure, trustless operations.
Rootstock is the first-ever Bitcoin layer-2 to bring smart contract capabilities to BTC.
BTC moves in and out as rBTC, a 1:1 representation locked and released by the protocol. It’s not wrapping in the Ethereum sense – rBTC is native to Rootstock and unlocks DeFi on a Bitcoin-secured chain. Merge-mined for security and EVM-compatible for devs, Rootstock blends Bitcoin’s security with Ethereum-style programmability. Think BTC, but with dApps.
It’s also worth noting that in late 2023, BitVMX, a project launched by researchers from RootstockLabs, a core contributor to the growth of Rootstock, and Fairgate Labs, pushed the boundaries of what’s possible on Bitcoin. By enabling off-chain computation and fraud proofs secured by Bitcoin, BitVMX lets developers deploy advanced logic without altering Bitcoin’s base layer. It’s Ethereum-style programmability, but anchored to BTC’s security. Paired with native bridges like Symbiosis and smart-contract platforms like Rootstock, the result is powerful: BTC that computes.
BitVM is a concept framework that brings smart contract logic to Bitcoin itself, without changing its base layer.
Inspired by the way optimistic rollups work, it lets you run complex computations off-chain and verify them on-chain through fraud proofs. No forks, no trust assumptions – just math.
Instead of relying on multisigs or wrapped assets, BitVM-based bridges only need one honest participant to stay secure. That’s a real step forward – building Bitcoin-native apps that can talk to Ethereum, Solana, or any other chain, without compromising on decentralization.
It’s still early days for the framework, but the direction is clear: BitVM turns Bitcoin into more than money. It becomes programmable, composable, and finally part of the wider DeFi stack.
Symbiosis.finance is one of the few protocols to offer true native Bitcoin bridging – BTC in, token out.
The bridge supports routes to and from major networks like Ethereum, BNB Chain, ZKsync, and Bitcoin sidechains such as Merlin and Rootstock.
For users, it feels like a direct transaction: choose BTC, pick the asset you want on another chain, and hit confirm. Behind the scenes, a decentralized network of Relayers, BTC Forwarders, and the Symbiosis BTC Portal handle the heavy lifting.
Here’s how it works:
The BTC Portal, deployed on Bitcoin, is a client-side validated smart contract that locks incoming BTC via threshold signatures (TSS).
The Relayers Network (a decentralized peer-to-peer system) watches the Bitcoin blockchain and validates transactions. Once confirmed, it triggers the next step.
The BTC Forwarder steps in to execute the user’s intent, enabling Bitcoin wallets (which can’t run smart contracts) to still interact with cross-chain operations.
In most routes, syBTC (a wrapped version on BNB chain) is minted temporarily to facilitate the transaction, but the user never sees it. It's just a routing mechanism – the final asset arrives as the token they requested, on the network they chose.
The whole process takes just minutes!
Fees are low, slippage is minimal, and critically – you don’t need to manually switch networks, wrap tokens, or manage multiple wallets. Regarding security, the Symbiosis bridge has been audited by Decurity, and operates without centralized custody.
Where it’s all going
WIth effective BTC bridging solutions becoming the standard, we’re heading toward a world where:
Native Bitcoin transactions become the standard, not the exception;
Smart routing protocols and abstracted UX make bridging feel like a single-chain experience;
Yield generation, trading, and DeFi participation happen directly with BTC, not derivatives;
Security assumptions improve as more protocols adopt threshold cryptography and fraud-proof mechanisms;And Bitcoin-native ecosystems mature, with more dApps, dev tooling, and liquidity flowing in.
The line between Bitcoin and the rest of crypto is fading. Cross-chain protocols, like those mentioned, are stitching together entirely new financial terrain.
Final thoughts
Bitcoin was always the vault. What BTCFi brings is velocity – the ability to move, interact, and compound.
For over a decade, Bitcoin stood apart: foundational, powerful, but largely inert in the context of modern crypto applications. Now, with native bridging, layer-2 innovation, and smart contract integrations, that’s changing fast.
The future of BTC is definitely bigger than traditional HODLing. It's about earning yield, providing liquidity, enabling loans, minting stablecoins, and participating in an internet-native financial system.
In short – Bitcoin is waking up.
Lead Growth Product Manager
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Bridges
FAQs
Got questions?
Still have questions? Contact us and we’ll help you out.
01
What does native Bitcoin in DeFi mean?
It means using BTC that stays on Bitcoin rather than first converting it into a wrapped asset like WBTC or cbBTC. Native-BTC designs keep self-custody and use Bitcoin-aware infrastructure to make BTC usable as collateral or yield-bearing capital.
02
How is native BTC different from wrapped BTC?
Wrapped BTC is simpler and more widely supported across EVM DeFi, but it adds bridge or custodian risk since the asset depends on the wrapper's backing. Native-BTC approaches reduce that dependency by keeping Bitcoin self-custodied or settlement-backed on Bitcoin itself.
03
How does Symbiosis bridge native BTC?
The BTC Portal on Bitcoin locks incoming BTC via threshold signatures (TSS), the Relayers Network validates the transaction, and a BTC Forwarder executes your intent. syBTC is minted temporarily as a routing step, but you only ever see the final token on your chosen chain.
04
Which chains can I bridge BTC to via Symbiosis?
Symbiosis supports routes to and from Ethereum, BNB Chain, and ZKsync, plus Bitcoin sidechains like Merlin and Rootstock. You pick BTC, choose the asset you want on another network, and confirm — no manual network switching or wrapping.
05
Is the Symbiosis BTC bridge secure?
The Symbiosis bridge has been audited by Decurity and operates without centralized custody. BTC is locked through threshold signatures (TSS) rather than a single custodian holding the keys.
06
How big is Bitcoin DeFi compared to Ethereum?
Spark estimates Bitcoin DeFi TVL grew from about $304M in early 2024 to over $7B by late 2025 — roughly 12% of Ethereum's ~$57B DeFi TVL, and still under 0.5% of all BTC in circulation.
07
How do THORChain and Chainflip differ?
Both settle native assets without wrapping. THORChain runs since 2021 on a Tendermint appchain secured by RUNE-bonded TSS vaults; Chainflip uses the FROST signature scheme and a Uniswap v3-style AMM with RFQ, cutting BTC settlement times up to 75%.
08
What's the gotcha with BTC DeFi products?
Many "BTC DeFi" products aren't truly Bitcoin-native — some are wrapped-token systems or background conversions that only preserve BTC exposure economically. If a protocol doesn't clearly explain custody, settlement, and redemption, you may be taking on bridge or counterparty risk.
Learn more
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