Bitcoin’s long-anticipated evolution into a fully functional decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem is gaining serious momentum. At the forefront of this transformation is Bitlayer, a Bitcoin Layer 2 protocol built on the revolutionary BitVM paradigm. In a landmark move, Bitlayer has announced a strategic partnership with three of the world’s largest Bitcoin mining pools—Antpool, F2Pool, and SpiderPool—to accelerate the real-world adoption of Bitcoin-native DeFi.
This collaboration marks a pivotal moment in Bitcoin’s history, bridging the gap between its unmatched security and the need for scalable, programmable financial applications.
The Challenge: Unlocking Smart Contract Potential on Bitcoin
For years, Bitcoin has been sidelined in the DeFi race. While networks like Ethereum, Solana, and Arbitrum have flourished with smart contracts and decentralized applications, Bitcoin’s architecture—designed for security and decentralization—has lacked native support for Turing-complete computation. This limitation has prevented developers from building complex financial tools directly on Bitcoin.
Enter BitVM (Bitcoin Virtual Machine). This groundbreaking technology enables Turing-complete logic on Bitcoin without altering its core protocol. By leveraging cryptographic commitments and challenge-response mechanisms, BitVM allows off-chain computation to be verified on-chain, preserving Bitcoin’s security while unlocking programmability.
However, one critical hurdle remained: non-standard transactions (NSTs).
NSTs are valid under Bitcoin’s consensus rules but are not relayed by default Bitcoin Core nodes. Without miner support, these transactions struggle to be confirmed—making them a bottleneck for BitVM-based applications.
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The Breakthrough: Miner Support for Non-Standard Transactions
The partnership between Bitlayer, Antpool, F2Pool, and SpiderPool directly addresses this challenge. Together, these mining pools control over 36% of Bitcoin’s total hashrate, giving them significant influence over block production.
Under this collaboration, the pools will now actively support and include NSTs in the blocks they mine. This ensures that BitVM-related transactions—such as those used in cross-chain bridges and DeFi interactions—are reliably confirmed on the Bitcoin blockchain.
More importantly, these miners will act as guardians of the BitVM Bridge, a critical infrastructure component that enables secure, trust-minimized movement of BTC into Layer 2 networks, rollups, and smart contract platforms—without relying on centralized custodians.
“The BitVM Bridge is not just a technical tool—it’s a gateway to a new era of Bitcoin utility,” said Kevin He, co-founder of Bitlayer. “This partnership solves the last-mile problem of NST inclusion. It’s the missing link that makes Bitcoin-native DeFi truly viable.”
Why This Matters for Miners
This alliance isn’t just beneficial for developers and users—it’s a strategic win for miners facing an uncertain economic future.
As Bitcoin undergoes its periodic halving events, the block reward miners receive is cut in half every four years. With the next halving reducing rewards to just 3.125 BTC per block, mining profitability increasingly depends on transaction fees.
By supporting BitVM and enabling more complex on-chain activity, miners open the door to a new revenue stream. Every DeFi interaction, bridge transfer, or smart contract execution generates fees—many of which flow directly to miners.
“Bitlayer’s technology drives new economic activity on Bitcoin,” said Andy, CEO of Antpool. “More usage means more transactions, more fees, and long-term sustainability for the mining ecosystem.”
Leon Liang, Chief Strategy Officer at F2Pool, echoed this sentiment: “We’re committed to supporting high-quality innovation that expands what Bitcoin can do. Bitlayer represents the kind of foundational progress we want to back.”
Kenway, CTO of SpiderPool, emphasized the broader vision: “Bitcoin shouldn’t just be digital gold—it should be a platform for financial innovation. This partnership unlocks new possibilities for Bitcoin DeFi while reinforcing miners’ central role in securing the network.”
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The Growing Demand for Bitcoin DeFi
Bitlayer’s collaboration with major mining pools follows a series of high-profile integrations with leading Layer 1 ecosystems, including Sui, Base, Arbitrum, and Starknet. These partnerships highlight a growing industry-wide demand for secure, scalable, and Bitcoin-native DeFi solutions.
Unlike wrapped BTC or centralized custody models, Bitlayer’s approach keeps Bitcoin’s security model intact while enabling advanced functionality. This makes it an attractive option for institutions, developers, and users who want exposure to DeFi without sacrificing decentralization or trust assumptions.
Core keywords driving this movement include:
- Bitcoin DeFi
- BitVM
- Bitcoin Layer 2
- Non-standard transactions (NSTs)
- BTC staking
- Decentralized finance on Bitcoin
- Miner incentives
- Bitcoin scalability
These terms reflect both technical innovation and user demand—precisely what search engines prioritize when ranking content around emerging crypto trends.
FAQ: Your Questions About BitVM and Bitcoin DeFi Answered
What is BitVM and how does it work?
BitVM (Bitcoin Virtual Machine) is a framework that enables Turing-complete computation on Bitcoin without changing its base layer. It uses cryptographic commitments and challenge-response protocols to verify complex logic off-chain, with final settlement on Bitcoin. This allows smart contracts and DeFi applications to run securely on the most decentralized blockchain in existence.
Why do mining pools need to support non-standard transactions?
While non-standard transactions (NSTs) are valid under Bitcoin’s consensus rules, they are not broadcast by default by Bitcoin Core nodes. Without miner cooperation, these transactions can’t be included in blocks. Miner support ensures that BitVM-related operations—like fraud proofs or bridge withdrawals—are reliably confirmed.
Can anyone become a validator in the BitVM ecosystem?
Bitlayer is actively onboarding validators and early adopters to help secure the BitVM Bridge. While technical expertise is required, the goal is to create a decentralized network of verifiers that complement miner support and enhance system resilience.
How does this impact Bitcoin’s security?
This upgrade enhances security by enabling trust-minimized cross-chain interactions. Instead of relying on third-party custodians or centralized bridges, users can move BTC across ecosystems with cryptographic guarantees backed by Bitcoin’s hash power.
Is this similar to Ethereum’s rollups?
Yes—BitVM functions similarly to optimistic rollups on Ethereum. Computation happens off-chain, and only proofs or disputes are settled on-chain. However, BitVM does this natively on Bitcoin, leveraging its unparalleled security without introducing new consensus mechanisms.
What’s next for Bitcoin DeFi?
With miner support secured and major ecosystems integrating BitVM-compatible bridges, we’re entering a new phase of development. Expect to see BTC-backed lending markets, decentralized exchanges (DEXs), yield strategies, and even Bitcoin-based derivatives emerge in the coming months.
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The Road Ahead: Building Bitcoin’s Financial Future
Bitlayer’s alliance with Antpool, F2Pool, and SpiderPool isn’t just a technical milestone—it’s a signal that the Bitcoin ecosystem is ready for its next chapter. By aligning miner incentives with developer innovation, this partnership creates a sustainable foundation for long-term growth in Bitcoin DeFi.
As adoption increases and more users seek ways to put their BTC to work without leaving the chain’s security umbrella, solutions like BitVM will become increasingly vital.
The dream of a fully functional, decentralized financial system built on Bitcoin is no longer theoretical. It’s being coded, tested, and deployed—one block at a time.