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Network Highlight: iBTC
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Network Highlight: iBTC

iBTC Network has deployed on Symbiotic mainnet, enabling a safer wrapped Bitcoin backed by shared security. Through iBTC's decentralized merchant and Attestor Network, Bitcoin holders can now participate in DeFi without relying on centralized bridges or traditional custodians.

Bitcoin Layer 1-Native Security Architecture 

iBTC is backed by a network of node operators (attestors) and merchants who self-wrap BTC into 2-of-2 multi-sigs on Bitcoin Layer 1 to provide liquidity to the iBTC Network. The merchant's signature on the multisig vault prevents network misuse without user consent. 

By integrating with Symbiotic, the Attestor Network harnesses programmable shared security to ensure reliable cross-chain message validation. Each attestor node registers in Symbiotic's OperatorRegistry and can serve as both an operator (providing validation infrastructure) and resolver (participating in slashing governance). This dual role strengthens the network's fault tolerance: attestors face economic penalties for failing to validate transfers correctly or attempting to misuse the network.

Following the deployment on Symbiotic mainnet, iBTC deployed a Bitcoin staking vault on Mellow with an initial capacity of $50M. The vault accepts iBTC as collateral, enabling both institutional and retail participants to provide economic security to the Attestor Network. By isolating merchant signatures at the Bitcoin layer while enforcing economic consequences through Symbiotic's slashing framework, iBTC achieves a safer security model for wrapped Bitcoin without sacrificing decentralization.

Technical Implementation 

iBTC's integration demonstrates several key capabilities of Symbiotic's architecture:

  • Multi-asset vault configurations supporting wrapped Bitcoin collateral
  • Cross-chain security validation through resolver networks
  • Flexible operator selection and stake delegation strategies
  • Programmable slashing conditions for invalid attestations

Looking Forward 

iBTC showcases how Symbiotic's shared security primitives can secure novel cross-chain infrastructures. By bringing Bitcoin's liquidity into DeFi through a bridgeless design, iBTC expands the frontier of what's possible with decentralized wrapped Bitcoin and validation. For more details on iBTC, check out their documentation and follow them on X. If you are interested in learning more or collaborating with Symbiotic, reach out to us here.