Alpen Labs has announced the launch of its Public Testnet, a key step toward building a decentralized financial system secured by Bitcoin. The release allows developers to experiment with trading, borrowing, stablecoins, and other financial applications directly on Bitcoin without relying on centralized intermediaries.
Despite Bitcoin’s $2 trillion market capitalization, its role in finance has largely been limited to custodial platforms. Alpen aims to change that. “Bitcoin’s not just for holding anymore,” said Simanta Gautam, CEO and co-founder of Alpen Labs. “We’re enabling Bitcoin holders to participate in Bitcoin finance securely and without middlemen.”
Bitcoin’s financial system is coming online.
Alpen’s Public Testnet is now live! Borrow, trade, earn yield & use stablecoins – soon on Bitcoin. pic.twitter.com/t4NAxJAw9P
— Alpen (@AlpenLabs) August 4, 2025
The testnet introduces the industry’s first 1-of-N Bitcoin verifier in a production environment, based on BitVM2. Alpen has also unveiled “Glock,” an upcoming optimistic verifier that promises to be 1,000 times more efficient, with plans to integrate it into future testnet releases ahead of mainnet deployment. These breakthroughs stem from Alpen’s research into optimistic verification for zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs, powered by Succinct’s Prover Network.
Developers can now access an EVM-compatible environment on Alpen’s testnet, enabling them to leverage the existing Ethereum developer ecosystem while building natively on Bitcoin. The company will sunset its previous devnet within two weeks, migrating developers to the new testnet and inviting them to collaborate via Telegram and Discord.
Alpen confirmed that the current testnet will be temporary, with a future version expected to introduce upgradeability, eliminating the need for future network regenerations. The company now calls on developers worldwide to join in shaping what it describes as “Bitcoin’s financial base layer.”
Meanwhile, R2, a yield-bearing stablecoin protocol backed by Real-World Assets (RWA), has launched its own testnet. The platform allows users to mint R2USD, stake tokens to earn yield, and participate in Galxe and Intract campaigns to accumulate testnet points. R2’s stablecoin is anchored by a diversified portfolio of tokenized U.S. Treasuries, offering a compliant and transparent foundation for on-chain finance.
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