tBTC launches on Starknet: Expanding Bitcoin's Role in Multi-Chain DeFi
Bitcoin holders can now trade, borrow, and execute complex DeFi strategies for just $0.01 per transaction, following Threshold Network's launch of tBTC on Starknet. This trust-minimized protocol transforms Bitcoin into functional DeFi capital while preserving full user custody.
tBTC is now available for direct minting on Starknet via the Threshold UI, allowing users to seamlessly bring native BTC onchain without custodians or intermediaries.
With Bitcoin's average transaction fee at $1.49 (7-day moving average, June 2025), it's no match for Starknet's ultra-low costs, where the same Bitcoin, via tBTC, can be traded, lent, or deployed in complex DeFi strategies for just $0.01 per transaction. "BTC on Bitcoin Mainnet is like gold bars in a vault: valuable but unusable," said MacLane Wilkison, Co-Founder of Threshold Labs. "At just $0.01 per transaction on Starknet, Bitcoin becomes more than a store of value — it can now be used for small to large-scale trades, executed hundreds of times a day, and as a source of capital to lend or even borrow against. This is Bitcoin as it was meant to be used."
The Numbers: Why Bitcoin DeFi Struggles
Current Bitcoin mainnet reality (June 2025 data): Average transaction fee: $1.49 (7-day moving average)
Recent peak during congestion: $91.89 (April 2024)
Confirmation time: 10-60 minutes
Result: Complex DeFi operations become uneconomical: even at $1.49, a $100 trade costs 1.5% in fees.
tBTC on Starknet changes the economics: Transaction fees: $0.01
Confirmation: Instant
Throughput: 857 TPS (achieved in testing)
Result: Bitcoin becomes a working capital, operating at minimal cost.
What's Coming Next for tBTC x Starknet
With the launch of tBTC on Starknet, Threshold Network is building the foundation for a Bitcoin-Ethereum economy within a scalable, zero-knowledge environment. tBTC is integrating with Starknet's most prominent protocols to bring trust-minimized Bitcoin liquidity to trading, borrowing, and beyond. Live on Launch: DEX Trading on Ekubo - Native Starknet DEXs enable deep, efficient trading of tBTC against select pairs. Users can deploy capital with minimal slippage and explore high-frequency strategies at a much lower cost.
Native Starknet DEXs enable deep, efficient trading of tBTC against select pairs. Users can deploy capital with minimal slippage and explore high-frequency strategies at a much lower cost. Coming Soon: tBTC Lending on Vesu - Soon, users can borrow against their tBTC positions without relinquishing custody, via Vesu. This integration mirrors the success of tBTC on Ethereum, where over 25% of the supply is locked in Aave.
What Can Users Do with tBTC on Starknet Execute on Select Trading and Borrowing Strategies
Provide liquidity at minimal rebalancing costs
Use Bitcoin as collateral without selling
Manage positions freely on DEXs
Trade tBTC or explore staking pairs
Enabling New Application Use Cases: Streaming Payments: Enables Bitcoin-backed payments to be sent on a per-second basis.
Enables Bitcoin-backed payments to be sent on a per-second basis. Automated Strategies: Allows BTC to function within smart contract systems while minimizing gas overheads that could reduce returns.
Allows BTC to function within smart contract systems while minimizing gas overheads that could reduce returns. Bitcoin-Powered Gaming: Facilitates microtransactions through low-cost, instant Bitcoin-backed transfers, making them viable in gaming environments.
What's Coming Next Perpetuals & CDPs: Upcoming integrations with perp DEXs and collateralized debt protocols will expand risk-managed leverage options and allow BTC to power more complex DeFi tools. Yield Vaults: Future integrations with automated vaults will simplify liquidity management for users and unlock more opportunities with BTC on DeFi. Oracles & Liquidity Infrastructure: Collaborations with major liquidity providers and oracle networks will ensure accurate price feeds and optimal capital deployment. "This fundamentally changes Bitcoin's role in DeFi," said Damian Chen, Head of Growth at the Starknet Foundation. "We're seeing developers revisit ideas killed by high fees. Bitcoin at scale is finally possible on Starknet."
Security Without Compromise
Unlike other wrapped Bitcoins that require corporate custody, tBTC uses threshold cryptography. Multiple independent nodes secure Bitcoin deposits, ensuring that no single entity controls funds. No KYC is required, and users maintain Bitcoin sovereignty while accessing DeFi.
Starknet's zero-knowledge proofs provide the scaling. STARK cryptography compresses thousands of transactions into one proof, achieving 857 TPS in testing while maintaining Ethereum's security guarantees.
How to Access tBTC on Starknet
Access tBTC on Starknet via 2 ways:
With $547 million in TVL, 193 active protocols, and over 11,000 daily users, Starknet has rapidly emerged as a hub for scalable, composable DeFi.
Starknet users can now directly mint tBTC — a fully backed, 1:1 representation of native Bitcoin — through the Threshold UI, providing them with seamless access to Bitcoin's value without intermediaries and with full self-custody.
Additionally, users can bridge existing tBTC from Ethereum L1 to Starknet via the official StarkGate bridge, offering even more flexibility for Bitcoin holders to participate in Starknet DeFi.
Market Context
Despite a $2.1 trillion market cap, Bitcoin's presence in DeFi remains minimal, with just $6.3 billion (under 0.3%) locked in decentralized protocols, according to DefiLlama data from June 2025. As transaction costs decline and access barriers are removed, the Bitcoin DeFi market has the potential to grow 10–15x, unlocking new utility beyond passive holding and into active, composable participation across DeFi.
tBTC has operated since 2020 as the leading trust-minimized Bitcoin protocol. Combined with Starknet's proven 857 TPS capacity, Bitcoin DeFi can finally scale.
About Threshold Network
Threshold Network powers tBTC, the leading decentralized, 1:1 Bitcoin-backed asset for DeFi. Secured by a 51-of-100 threshold signer model, tBTC enables BTC to move across multiple chains—including Ethereum, Solana, Arbitrum, and BOB—without requiring custodians or compromising security. With $450M+ in TVL and $3.6B in bridge volume since 2020, Threshold delivers the most robust trust-minimized Bitcoin infrastructure in DeFi.
About Starknet
Starknet is a permissionless, decentralized zero-knowledge (ZK) rollup that offers high scalability, low fees, and fast finality. Powered by STARK proofs and developed by StarkWare, Starknet is designed for long-term composability, security, and developer flexibility.
Disclaimer: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those discussed. Nothing in this press release should be considered investment advice.
Contact Marketing
RC Threshold
Threshold Labs
marketing@tnetworklabs.com
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