Leading Bitcoin Layer-2 Blockchain Stacks Expanding BTC Liquidity Across Networks with Wormhole

Stacks leveraging Wormhole's NTT (Native Token Transfers) token standard to scale Bitcoin-native DeFi infrastructure across multiple blockchain ecosystems

SAN FRANCISCO, July 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Wormhole Foundation and Bitcoin L2 Labs announced a new collaboration bringing together Wormhole, a leading interoperability platform, and Stacks, the leading Bitcoin Layer 2, to unlock native Bitcoin liquidity for decentralized finance (DeFi) applications across multiple blockchain networks using Wormhole and its Native Token Transfers (NTT) standard.

sBTC is a decentralized, Bitcoin-backed asset issued on the Stacks layer, enabling users to move BTC trustlessly between the Bitcoin network and other blockchains while maintaining a 1:1 peg to Bitcoin. Despite being live for less than six months and having launched in just three limited-capacity tranches, sBTC has already surpassed both Lightning and Liquid to become the largest native Bitcoin Layer 2 with over half a billion dollars in total value locked (TVL).

By leveraging Wormhole's NTT standard and widely adopted multichain infrastructure, sBTC will unlock native Bitcoin liquidity and enable seamless deployment across leading networks—such as Solana and Sui—without the need for wrapped assets or fragmented liquidity. This integration will also bring together other key Stacks ecosystem organizations including Asymmetric Research, whose infrastructure and audits help secure sBTC and the broader Stacks network, and Stacks DeFi applications such as Granite and Zest, Bitcoin liquidity protocols. Asymmetric Research is also a core contributor to the Wormhole interoperability platform.

"Bitcoin's strength lies in its simplicity and security—but for too long, its capital has been stuck on the sidelines," said Muneeb Ali, Founder of Stacks. "By leveraging Wormhole's technology, we're enabling sBTC to serve as foundational infrastructure for the next generation of Bitcoin DeFi applications across multiple blockchain networks, unlocking access to native BTC liquidity for builders everywhere."

Stacks' sBTC will deliver significant strategic advantages through its native multichain architecture, where Stacks will maintain direct ownership and management of token contracts across all supported blockchains. This approach will ensure consistent governance and security while preventing the liquidity fragmentation that typically plagues multichain tokens. Stacks will leverage Wormhole's decentralized validator network—the same technology trusted by major institutions like BlackRock, Apollo Global, and VanEck—to provide institutional-grade security for all transfers.

sBTC's native implementation across networks will maintain Bitcoin's core security guarantees while enabling seamless compatibility with existing DeFi protocols and applications, positioning it as the most decentralized Bitcoin-native programmable asset for institutional adoption. The focus on Bitcoin-native yield aligns with Wormhole's proven financial infrastructure that has processed over $60 billion in all-time multichain volume, while currently supporting over $3.5B in multichain tokenized assets under management (MTAUM).

"This collaboration represents the type of innovative Bitcoin infrastructure that drives real-world adoption of digital assets," added Robinson Burkey, Co-founder of Wormhole Foundation. "Bringing sBTC multichain exemplifies our mission to bridge Bitcoin's unmatched security with multichain DeFi innovation, creating a secure, scalable infrastructure that developers need to confidently build Bitcoin-native applications at scale."

About Bitcoin L2 Labs

Bitcoin L2 Labs is dedicated to advancing Stacks, the leading Bitcoin Layer 2 solution, and accelerating the adoption of Bitcoin's Layer 2 technologies. Founded in 2024 and led by CTO Adriano Di Luzio and Head of Product Andre Serrano, the team unites expert developers to drive Stacks protocol upgrades, streamline the developer experience, and foster innovation across the Bitcoin ecosystem. With flagship projects such as sBTC and Clarity WASM, Bitcoin L2 Labs enhances Stacks' integration with Bitcoin, improves protocol security through initiatives like the Orange Hats program, and coordinates ecosystem-wide roadmapping to ensure cohesive and rapid development. Committed to building scalable, permissionless, and programmable technology, Bitcoin L2 Labs aims to unlock the full potential of Bitcoin's $2+ trillion market cap for decentralized applications and financial services, and invites collaboration from the broader Stacks and Bitcoin communities. For more information, visit bitcoinl2labs.com.

About Wormhole

Wormhole is the leading interoperability platform that powers multichain applications and bridges at scale. Wormhole provides developers, institutions, and users seamless connectivity between over 40 leading blockchain networks. The wider Wormhole network is trusted and used by teams like BlackRock, Apollo Global, VanEck, Google Cloud, Circle and Uniswap. To date, the platform has enabled over $60 billion in all-time multichain volume, the most of any protocol in the world. Learn more at wormhole.com.

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SOURCE Wormhole Foundation; Bitcoin L2 Labs