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Bitcoin DeFi Expansion Faces Fork Dilemma as Developers Explore ZK Proofs

Published

2 месяца ago

20 марта, 2025

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Bitcoin developers looking to expand the blockchain’s decentralized finance (DeFi) capabilities are likely to be considering zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs, functionality that’s not currently available and which require a so-called soft fork, or new version of the software, to introduce them.

That’s a problem, according Edan Yago, a Bitcoin veteran of over a decade and core contributor to smart contract operating system BitcoinOS (BOS).

«Forking a blockchain, especially one with $2 trillion worth of value on it, is like open-heart surgery,» Yago told CoinDesk in an interview «Hard forks are obviously much more problematic, but I think introducing any kind of fork is fraught.»

A fork is a change to a blockchain’s code that necessitates a divergence at a certain point onto a separate path. Forks can be «soft,» meaning older versions can still interact with the new one, or «hard», which render older versions incompatible and require all users to upgrade their software.

ZK proofs are a cryptographic method of proving the validity of statements while maintaining privacy through not revealing any information about it. The functionality is not available in Bitcoin’s software, but could be made so through proposed implementations like OP_CAT and OP_CTV. Yago said developers should be able to find ways of enabling them on Bitcoin without any kind of fork.

«The burden of proof is on developers to demonstrate that there is no other way of accomplishing this through clever engineering,» he said.

This is what BOS hopes to achieve through the BitSNARK, a Bitcoin rollup protocol that is part of the family of computing paradigms being developed to scale the original blockchain. These emerged following the introduction of BitVM by Robin Linus in October 2023, which set out a framework for how Ethereum-like smart contracts could be enabled on Bitcoin.

BitcoinOS has now open-sourced what Yago describes as a «fully production-ready» BitSNARK protocol, meaning developers now have access to ZK verification on Bitcoin and can connect it to other blockchains like Ethereum, Solana and Cardano.

BitSNARK allows developers to take large, complex programs and prove the results of the computations in only 300 bytes that can be verified in standard Bitcoin transactions. That could pave the way for BTCFi, a term used for DeFi on Bitcoin, through enabling cross-chain bridges, decentralized exchanges and bitcoin (BTC)-backed stablecoins.

While there are numerous projects looking to introduce decentralized finance on Bitcoin, they rely on using OP_CAT or OP_CTV codes, which require a fork in the blockchain’s software. Yago wants to reach the same destination via a different route.

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True Markets Raises $11M in Series A, Launches Mobile-First DeFi Trading App on Solana

Published

2 часа ago

20 мая, 2025

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True Markets, a new decentralized finance (DeFi) trading platform focused on stablecoin-native execution, has launched its mobile app on Solana and closed an $11 million Series A, bringing total funding to $20 million, the company said in a press release Tuesday.

The funding round was co-led by Accomplice and RRE Ventures, with participation from Reciprocal Ventures, Variant Fund, and PayPal Ventures.

Seed investors Paxos Ventures and the Solana Foundation, continue to support the firm, True Markets said.

Founded by Coinbase (COIN) and Circle veterans Vishal Gupta and Patrick McCreary, New York-based True Markets aims to deliver a non-custodial, mobile-first DeFi trading experience for retail users, prioritizing speed, simplicity, and transparency.

The app enables stablecoin-powered token trading on Solana, with gasless execution, smart order routing, and embedded key management via Turnkey, all without users surrendering custody of funds, True Markets said.

“Retail traders have been stuck with clunky workflows, unclear pricing, and fragmented liquidity,» said Vishal Gupta, CEO of True Markets, in the release.

«Our goal is to deliver a fairer and more transparent experience that makes asset discovery simple, shows real-time market momentum, and feels as intuitive as the best apps on your phone,» Gupta added.

Backed by infrastructure partners Turnkey and Definitive, the app features real-time market sparklines, automated execution across decentralized venues, and hosted wallets that support immediate funding and trading within a non-custodial framework.

True Markets said it plans to expand into both CeFi and DeFi markets, with future integrations including TrueX, a centralized exchange designed for institutional liquidity and qualified custody.

Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk’s full AI Policy.

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CoinDesk 20 Performance Update: Litecoin (LTC) Drops 6.1%, Leading Index Lower

Published

3 часа ago

20 мая, 2025

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CoinDesk Indices presents its daily market update, highlighting the performance of leaders and laggards in the CoinDesk 20 Index.

The CoinDesk 20 is currently trading at 3147.53, down 0.7% (-22.88) since 4 p.m. ET on Monday.

Four of 20 assets are trading higher.

9am CoinDesk 20 Update for 2025-05-20: full chart

Leaders: AAVE (+9.8%) and HBAR (+0.7%).

Laggards: LTC (-6.1%) and FIL (-2.9%).

The CoinDesk 20 is a broad-based index traded on multiple platforms in several regions globally.

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KULR Boosts Bitcoin Treasury to 800 BTC With $9M Purchase

Published

3 часа ago

20 мая, 2025

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Energy management firm KULR (KULR) has expanded its bitcoin treasury to more than 800 tokens, with the purchase an additional $9 million worth of BTC.

The latest acquisition — made at an average price of $103,234 each — brings the total amount KULR has spent on the cryptocurrency to $78 million.

This continues the company’s treasury strategy first announced in December last year, under which it committed to holding up to 90% of its surplus cash reserves in bitcoin.

The Houston-based firm, which develops energy storage systems for aerospace and defense, is measuring the success of this pivot using a BTC Yield metric.

That metric tracks the growth in the ratio of bitcoin holdings to the number of shares outstanding, rather than actual dollar returns or revenue. So far in 2025, KULR says that ratio has jumped by 220, according to this morning’s press release.

KULR’s shares are up 3.15% in pre-market trading at $1.3.