Unlocking Bitcoin DeFi & Yield w/ BitLayer V2 Mainnet | Blockchain Interviews

Today on Blockchain Interviews, I’m joined by Charlie from Bitlayer to dive into how Bitlayer is pushing Bitcoin DeFi forward with BitVM, a breakthrough that brings Turing-complete smart contracts to Bitcoin. We discuss what BitVM is, how the BitVM Bridge helps unlock BTC liquidity across chains while maintaining Bitcoin-level security, and how everyday holders can earn yield through their platform. Charlie shares who the ideal participants are right now, from small retail holders to institutional players, and talks about the recent launch of Bitlayer’s Mainnet V2 and what’s next on their roadmap for 2025. We also explore how the Bitlayer Rollup fits into this vision by combining BitVM smart contracts with zero-knowledge proofs for finality on Bitcoin. If you want to get involved, learn how to use the Bitlayer Bridge, peg BTC, and tap into their upcoming DeFi tools as the ecosystem grows.

bitlayer.org

Chapters

1. 0:06 Intro to Bitlayer & Bitcoin Ecosystem
2. 1:54 BitVM Whitepaper Sparked the Vision
3. 4:01 Bitlayer by the Numbers
4. 5:36 What BitVM Enables
5. 7:08 Bitcoin's Growing Demand for Yield
6. 9:54 Bringing EVM to Bitcoin
7. 11:00 Two Core Products: BVM Bridge & Rollup
8. 14:40 Economic Alignment with Bitcoin Miners
9. 17:05 Institutions & ETFs as the Next Wave
10. 20:03 V2 Mainnet & BVM Bridge Launch
11. 23:02 Bitcoin-Native Rollup with Recursive Proofs
12. 32:00 How to Get Started & Earn Rewards