DeFi

Explore how trade-offs between centralization, security, and adoption are shaping wrapped Bitcoin protocols.

Bitcoin (BTC) is the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization and an emerging store of value asset. However, its limited programmability has historically restricted its utility in decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. Wrapped Bitcoin tokens help address this limitation and facilitate the transfer of Bitcoin’s value to platforms that are faster and more expressive. 

However, recent developments have cast a shadow on the reliability of bridged Bitcoin (BTC) tokens. The node infrastructure of renBTC, once a popular BTC bridge, was undermined by its financial dependence on Alameda Research and the project shut down in 2022. WBTC, the largest bridged BTC token, faces scrutiny due to its centralized custodianship, which has been compounded by the recent involvement of Justin Sun in the project. 

These concerns have sparked interest in how bridged Bitcoin protocols operate. To that effect, Cointelegraph Research has undertaken a comparative analysis of four prominent Bitcoin bridging solutions—wBTC, renBTC, cbBTC and tBTC. The article provides readers with an in-depth dive into the respective architectures, market performance, recent developments and future prospects.

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