Bitcoin is stepping firmly into the cross-chain era as Lightec’s zkBTC Bridge officially goes live on mainnet, unlocking new DeFi possibilities for BTC holders.
According to the announcement, the launch marks a significant milestone for Lightec after over two years of development and testing. Its testnet phase concluded earlier this month on July 1, offering users the chance to earn points through active participation. This followed Lightec’s Beta V3 “Odyssey” campaign in December, during which community testers earned zkBTC points, which could later be converted into airdrops.
With zkBTC Bridge now operational, Bitcoin holders can seamlessly bridge their BTC onto Ethereum to access decentralized finance yields securely and without intermediaries. The bridge leverages zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) to ensure trustless transfers between Bitcoin and Ethereum. When BTC is deposited into a ZKP-managed address, an off-chain proof is generated and verified by an Ethereum smart contract, minting zkBTC tokens pegged 1:1 to Bitcoin. The process is fully reversible for redemptions back to native BTC.
Lightec describes the zkBTC Bridge as the first of its kind to integrate fully zero-knowledge proof-based bridging between Bitcoin and Ethereum. It features trusted multisig custody, minimal transaction fees, and a user-friendly interface. Integration with leading DeFi protocols further broadens its utility for users seeking yield opportunities beyond Bitcoin’s base layer.
Looking ahead, the team revealed ongoing work on ZenKeeper, a protocol designed to eliminate off-chain verification in BTC issuance by using zero-knowledge proofs. Development also continues on OPZKP, a Bitcoin-native Layer 2 protocol that will incorporate the OP_ZKP opcode to enhance scalability and security across the network.
With these innovations, Lightec aims to accelerate Bitcoin’s role in decentralized finance while advancing zero-knowledge technology within the ecosystem.
Meanwhile, The crypto market staged a strong recovery in Q2 2025, with total market capitalization rising 24% to $3.5 trillion, reversing an 18.6% decline recorded in the previous quarter, according to CoinGecko’s latest industry report. Leading the charge was Bitcoin, which increased its dominance to 62.1%.
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