Botanix Labs challenges Ethereum to cement Bitcoin as finance hub
In an interview with TheStreet Roundtable, Alisia Painter, co-founder of Botanix Labs, outlined a plan to migrate decentralized finance from Ethereum onto Bitcoin — rebuilding Bitcoin's full financial stack on-chain to support its evolution from peer-to-peer cash to a global reserve asset.
Painter noted that most DeFi today lives on Ethereum, yet Bitcoin holders have long lacked comparable on-chain options. 'Everything that we see in TradFi, we need to bring on-chain and we need to bring it to Bitcoin,' she said — framing Botanix's mission as a direct challenge to Ethereum's supremacy.
She explained that institutions and everyday investors are eager both to hold and to earn yield on Bitcoin. 'They do not want to sell their Bitcoin,' Painter said — highlighting demand for collateralized lending and yield products native to Bitcoin rather than wrapped versions on other chains.
Botanix's day-one offerings will include lending protocols comparable to Ethereum's largest platforms. 'You'll be able to use a lending protocol such as Dolomite, such as Aave in a few months, which are some of the largest lending protocols in Ethereum,' Painter said — enabling users to use their Bitcoin as collateral to borrow, effectively using Bitcoin as money.
By contrast, current Bitcoin loans often rely on centralized exchanges or cross-chain bridges that introduce custodial or technical risk. Botanix's fully on-chain approach aims to keep all activity secure and aligned with Bitcoin's principles.
Painter coined the term 'real Bitcoin yield' to describe returns generated entirely on Bitcoin's network. 'Whenever you bridge to another cryptocurrency, there is some risk,' she said — referring to the hacks and exploits that plague cross-chain bridges.
Botanix's yield mechanism is based on transaction activity within its Bitcoin-native ecosystem. Users will stake Bitcoin directly and earn passive yield, paid in Bitcoin, without ever leaving the chain. Painter argued that most Bitcoin gains to date have come solely from price appreciation, asking, 'Why doesn't Bitcoin actually earn yield?'
Painter says that by offering native on-chain lending and yield services, Botanix can draw DeFi users from Ethereum — solidifying Bitcoin's status as the main hub of decentralized finance.
Botanix Labs challenges Ethereum to cement Bitcoin as finance hub first appeared on TheStreet on Jun 12, 2025
This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
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