Latest news with #Bitcoin-powered
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fractal Bitcoin is creating a programmable layer secured by Bitcoin miners
Fractal Bitcoin is creating a programmable layer secured by Bitcoin miners originally appeared on TheStreet. In an interview with TheStreet Roundtable, Spencer Yang, co-founder of Fractal Bitcoin and managing partner of BlockSpaceForce, traced his journey from building CoinMarketCap and leading retail products at Coinbase to redefining Bitcoin's potential. After two and a half years ago, he saw a gap: while Bitcoin excels as a store of value, it can also power payments, applications and new protocols — if the right infrastructure is in place. At Bitcoin 2025, many scaling solutions vie for attention. Yang insists Fractal's edge lies in respecting Bitcoin's core. By merge-mining with major pools Fractal aligns miner incentives and reuses Bitcoin Core software. 'About 90% of Bitcoin hash rate from mining pools like Foundry, F2Pool, Antpool and ViaBTC are merge-mining Fractal and securing Fractal network on top of securing and receiving rewards for securing a Bitcoin network,' he said. Developers building on Fractal tap directly into Bitcoin's security — giving them a familiar, safe sandbox for innovation. Yang outlined three guiding principles behind Fractal's protocol design. First, miners securing Bitcoin today also receive Fractal block rewards, ensuring strong incentives. Second, Fractal uses Bitcoin Script so any developer building on Fractal also contributes to Bitcoin's security. Third, the network makes it seamless to move assets between Bitcoin and Fractal — opening paths for productive use rather than passive holding. When asked to explain Fractal's approach, Yang compared it to a skyscraper full of elevators. 'Bitcoin is the first level. But if users want to do something that is maybe a little bit faster, then you go to the second level, and then you go to the third level,' he said. 'What I am very optimistic about in the next five years is more innovations, not just in the on-chain parts of the space, which we are very, very strong in,' Yang said. He urged developers to explore on-chain markets and contribute to the next wave of Bitcoin-powered products. Fractal Bitcoin is creating a programmable layer secured by Bitcoin miners first appeared on TheStreet on Jun 11, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Business Wire
28-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Blockstream Unveils 'Future of Finance Runs on Bitcoin' Vision at Bitcoin 2025
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Blockstream, the global leader in Bitcoin-powered financial infrastructure, has today revealed its strategic vision to support Bitcoin's next pivotal phase of growth, building on over a decade of pioneering work at the forefront of Bitcoin innovation. Blockstream CEO Adam Back launches consumer app and showcases the firm's evolving enterprise platform at Bitcoin 2025, advancing its vision that The Future of Finance Runs on Bitcoin. Unveiled in a keynote by Blockstream Co-Founder and CEO Dr. Adam Back at Bitcoin 2025 in Las Vegas and anchored by a bold new tagline, The Future of Finance Runs on Bitcoin, the vision introduces a clear framework based on three core business units—Consumer, Enterprise and Blockstream Asset Management (BAM). This framework represents a unified approach to onboarding users across the rapidly growing Bitcoin economy, from individuals to institutions. 'The past year has shown clearly that Bitcoin no longer sits on the margins of the global financial system—it is rapidly becoming the foundation,' said Dr. Back. 'Our vision is simple: The Future of Finance Runs on Bitcoin. Guided by this idea, Blockstream is working hard to build the vertically integrated platform to support that transition, from individual self-custody to enterprise-scale asset issuance and regulated investment products.' A New Era for Bitcoin-Native Finance According to crypto ETF analytics platform SoSoValue, Bitcoin has attracted over $41 billion in net ETF inflows alone since the launch of U.S. spot ETFs in early 2024, led by major institutions such as BlackRock, Fidelity, and Franklin Templeton. At the same time, New Hampshire and Arizona have become the first U.S. states to pursue Strategic Bitcoin Reserves and the number of corporate treasuries holding Bitcoin continues to climb. With a market cap of just over $2 trillion and trillions settled annually on-chain, Bitcoin's role as a legitimate financial layer is increasingly clear, hastening the need for scalable infrastructure. Blockstream has been building that infrastructure for over a decade. Founded in 2014 by Dr. Adam Back—inventor of Bitcoin's proof-of-work (PoW) mechanism—the company has focused from the outset on expanding Bitcoin's functionality without compromising its foundational principles. Blockstream Research, led by renowned cryptographer Andrew Poelstra, is a key contributor to Bitcoin Core and drives advances in applied cryptography and protocol development. On the product side, Blockstream maintains Core Lightning (CLN) for scalable payments, the Liquid Network and Blocksteam Asset Management Platform (AMP) for tokenized asset issuance and settlement, as well as self-custody tools including the open-source Jade hardware wallet. The All-New Blockstream App—Self Custody on Your Terms Headlining today's keynote was the launch of the all-new Blockstream app—a streamlined, self-custodial experience that lets users buy bitcoin and secure it immediately in their own wallet. Built on the foundation of the trusted Blockstream Green wallet, the updated app offers seamless support for managing Bitcoin and Liquid assets within a redesigned interface tailored to both new and experienced users. The Blockstream app is designed to make onboarding intuitive from day one, minimizing friction while staying true to the principles of self-custody. Users can begin simply and gradually adopt more advanced features at their own pace—including hardware signing and air-gapped transactions with the Blockstream Jade. Current Blockstream Green users will find all existing functionality preserved within the redesigned interface. With support for 31 languages, the app makes Bitcoin accessible to anyone with a smartphone, opening the door to secure, sovereign finance worldwide 'The new Blockstream app isn't just a wallet,' said Peter Bain, VP of Consumer Products at Blockstream. 'It's a gateway to the full power of Bitcoin—enabling secure savings, fast payments, and seamless management of tokenized assets, all within an intuitive interface designed for both newcomers and hardcore bitcoiners.' Blockstream Enterprise: Accelerating the Development of Bitcoin-Native Financial Infrastructure Dr. Back also used his keynote to highlight the growing importance of Blockstream Enterprise, the company's evolving platform for corporations, governments and participants across the broader financial sector. Underpinned by the Liquid Network and Blockstream AMP, the platform enables secure asset issuance, as well as treasury and balance sheet management. It also facilitates integration with custodians, exchanges and core financial systems via industry-standard FIX and REST APIs. With the first iteration of AMP already available and additional features rolling out over time, the platform builds on Liquid's momentum, which recently surpassed $3.27 billion in total value locked (TVL). In doing so, it provides a Bitcoin-native foundation for tokenization and institutional settlement focused on regulated custody, compliant off-exchange settlement, and programmable financial instruments. 'As capital markets evolve, businesses, institutions, and governments will need infrastructure that is secure, programmable and built directly on Bitcoin's rapidly growing network,' said Dr. Back. 'Blockstream Enterprise brings that infrastructure together—enabling asset issuance, management, and settlement on Liquid, Bitcoin's first and most battle-tested sidechain.' Unifying Consumer, Enterprise, and Institutional Products Today's keynote marks a strategic inflection point, aligning Blockstream's efforts across the three market segments it serves. In 2024, the company raised $210 million to accelerate development and launched Blockstream Asset Management (BAM), a dedicated division focused on institutional-grade Bitcoin investment products. The company has also deepened collaborations with regulated custodians, corporate treasuries and financial service providers to support the integration of Liquid and AMP into existing financial infrastructure. The Future of Finance Runs on Bitcoin The vision laid out by Dr. Back reflects Blockstream's conviction that Bitcoin is no longer just a $2 trillion asset class but a settlement layer, a development platform, and the most credible foundation for building the next financial system. 'The financial world is waking up to what we've known for years,' said Dr. Back. 'Bitcoin is here to stay —and it's never been easier to build on it. From first-time users to trillion-dollar institutions, our aim is to give everyone the tools to participate in this new economy, with the transparency, security and resilience that only Bitcoin can provide.' To learn more visit Booth 2121 at Bitcoin 2025 or visit Download the new Blockstream app today and take control of your Bitcoin—on your terms. Institutions, enterprises, and governments interested in building on Bitcoin with Liquid and AMP can connect with the Blockstream team directly at business@ About Blockstream Founded in 2014, Blockstream is a global leader in Bitcoin and blockchain infrastructure, with offices and team members distributed around the world. Serving as the technology provider for the Liquid Network, Blockstream offers a sidechain solution that enables secure, trustless Bitcoin swap settlements and robust smart contracts, empowering financial institutions to tokenize assets efficiently. The company's Core Lightning is a leading implementation of the open Lightning Network protocol, widely adopted for enterprise Bitcoin Lightning Network deployments. Blockstream Jade, an open-source hardware wallet, delivers advanced security for Bitcoin and Liquid assets in an easy-to-use form factor. For consumers, Blockstream app is a highly secure and user-friendly Bitcoin wallet. Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements regarding the expected launch timeline of the Blockstream Enterprise platform and time to market of Blockstream Asset Management products. Other 'forward looking statements' may, without limitation, include statements that are preceded by, followed by, or include the words 'believes,' 'expects,' 'anticipates,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'estimates,' 'foresees,' or similar expressions, and other statements concerning anticipated future events and expectations that are not historical facts. Actual results may differ materially due to regulatory developments, competition from other hardware and technology services providers (in the case of Jade and the app) and both traditional finance and crypto native managers (in the case of BAM), market conditions and other risks. Actual results may differ materially. Blockstream undertakes no obligation to update these statements. Blockstream is not a registered investment, legal, or tax advisor. Nothing in this communication should be construed as investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any financial instrument.
National Post
30-04-2025
- Business
- National Post
Blockstream Shares Key Strategic Update on Growth & Expansion in 2025
Article content Article content MONTREAL, Quebec — Blockstream, the global leader in Bitcoin-powered financial infrastructure, has shared a key strategic update today highlighting several recent milestones, as the company looks to unveil several new innovations to expand Bitcoin's role in institutional finance and everyday user experience later this year. As announced previously, Blockstream raised $210 million in a financing round led by Fulgur Ventures in October 2024, and has already significantly expanded development and investment across its infrastructure and software offerings in 2025. Article content 'We are at a pivotal moment for Bitcoin's growth,' said Blockstream Co-Founder and CEO Dr. Adam Back. 'Spot ETFs have opened the floodgates, institutions are rushing to engage with Bitcoin, and individual interest is accelerating. As we look ahead, we will continue to explore ways to deliver the greatest impact with a focus on building the financial rails and infrastructure to help secure Bitcoin's success long term.' Article content As part of this broader expansion strategy Blockstream Mining, which becomes a newly independent company and will continue to operate under the well-established 'Blockstream Mining' brand, has also entered a new phase of growth, with over $350 million raised through a combination of equity and debt financing, alongside investments in its latest Blockstream Mining Note (BMN2). Article content Former President of Blockstream Mining Chris Cook, who launched and led the division, will serve as CEO of the newly independent company, bringing deep operational expertise and continuity of leadership. Article content Blockstream Co-Founder and CEO Dr. Adam Back, whose technical leadership and long-term vision were instrumental in shaping the mining business, will continue to support the company in an advisory role. Blockstream Satellite, which has long provided global Bitcoin data broadcast coverage, will also transition under the remit of the new mining entity. Article content Blockstream is additionally spinning out its ASIC division as a separate company with Assaf Gilboa as CEO (formerly EVP of Blockstream's Hardware Division), which will include a follow-on investment round and second in-progress round with the use of capital focused on ASIC R&D, including foundry services. Article content Key focus areas for Blockstream will continue to include development on Bitcoin layer-2 networks such as Liquid and Lightning, self-custody solutions like Blockstream Green and Jade, including the all-new Jade Plus, and institutional-grade custody tools. Article content Several new products aimed at creating a more streamlined and integrated user experience across Blockstream's technology stack are set to be unveiled at Bitcoin 2025 – Las Vegas in May. Article content To meet growing institutional demand, Blockstream launched Blockstream Asset Management (BAM) in February 2025, a new division focused on developing Bitcoin investment products for pensions, endowments, foundations and other sophisticated investors. Led by recently appointed CIO Sean Bill, a thirty-year hedge fund industry veteran, BAM reflects Blockstream's strategy to deliver end-to-end Bitcoin solutions built on Blockstream's full technology stack. Article content In January, Blockstream Capital Partners also completed a $75 million strategic investment into Komainu, a regulated digital asset custodian backed by Nomura's Laser Digital. The investment supports the integration of Blockstream's Liquid Network, Asset Management Platform (AMP) and enterprise-grade hardware security module (HSM) into Komainu's custody and off-exchange settlement systems, helping to raise the bar for institutional-grade infrastructure within the Bitcoin ecosystem. Article content Blockstream's long-term commitment to Bitcoin R&D remains at the heart of its vision. In November 2024, the company launched a dedicated research center in Lugano, Switzerland, focused on accelerating product development for the Liquid and Lightning networks and fostering collaboration with startups and academic institutions across Europe. Article content To further support its global expansion, Blockstream also opened a new office in Tokyo in early 2025, strengthening its presence in Asia and expanding collaboration with partners and developers in the region. Article content These efforts reinforce Bitcoin's role as a global financial and settlement layer, while supporting the next wave of decentralized innovation. Article content Founded in 2014, Blockstream is a global leader in Bitcoin and blockchain infrastructure, with offices and team members distributed around the world. Article content Serving as the technology provider for the Liquid Network, Blockstream offers a sidechain solution that enables secure, trustless Bitcoin swap settlements and robust smart contracts, empowering financial institutions to tokenize assets efficiently. Article content The companyʼs Core Lightning is a leading implementation of the open Lightning Network protocol, widely adopted for enterprise Bitcoin Lightning Network deployments. Article content Blockstream Jade, an open-source hardware wallet, delivers advanced security for Bitcoin and Liquid assets in an easy-to-use form factor. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
Associated Press
30-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Blockstream Shares Key Strategic Update on Growth & Expansion in 2025
MONTREAL, Quebec--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 30, 2025-- Blockstream, the global leader in Bitcoin-powered financial infrastructure, has shared a key strategic update today highlighting several recent milestones, as the company looks to unveil several new innovations to expand Bitcoin's role in institutional finance and everyday user experience later this year. As announced previously, Blockstream raised $210 million in a financing round led by Fulgur Ventures in October 2024, and has already significantly expanded development and investment across its infrastructure and software offerings in 2025. 'We are at a pivotal moment for Bitcoin's growth,' said Blockstream Co-Founder and CEO Dr. Adam Back . 'Spot ETFs have opened the floodgates, institutions are rushing to engage with Bitcoin, and individual interest is accelerating. As we look ahead, we will continue to explore ways to deliver the greatest impact with a focus on building the financial rails and infrastructure to help secure Bitcoin's success long term.' As part of this broader expansion strategy Blockstream Mining, which becomes a newly independent company and will continue to operate under the well-established 'Blockstream Mining' brand, has also entered a new phase of growth, with over $350 million raised through a combination of equity and debt financing, alongside investments in its latest Blockstream Mining Note (BMN2). Former President of Blockstream Mining Chris Cook, who launched and led the division, will serve as CEO of the newly independent company, bringing deep operational expertise and continuity of leadership. Blockstream Co-Founder and CEO Dr. Adam Back, whose technical leadership and long-term vision were instrumental in shaping the mining business, will continue to support the company in an advisory role. Blockstream Satellite, which has long provided global Bitcoin data broadcast coverage, will also transition under the remit of the new mining entity. Blockstream is additionally spinning out its ASIC division as a separate company with Assaf Gilboa as CEO (formerly EVP of Blockstream's Hardware Division), which will include a follow-on investment round and second in-progress round with the use of capital focused on ASIC R&D, including foundry services. Expanding Blockstream's Infrastructure, Layer-2 Development & Institutional Offerings Key focus areas for Blockstream will continue to include development on Bitcoin layer-2 networks such as Liquid and Lightning, self-custody solutions like Blockstream Green and Jade, including the all-new Jade Plus, and institutional-grade custody tools. Several new products aimed at creating a more streamlined and integrated user experience across Blockstream's technology stack are set to be unveiled at Bitcoin 2025 - Las Vegas in May. To meet growing institutional demand, Blockstream launched Blockstream Asset Management (BAM) in February 2025, a new division focused on developing Bitcoin investment products for pensions, endowments, foundations and other sophisticated investors. Led by recently appointed CIO Sean Bill, a thirty-year hedge fund industry veteran, BAM reflects Blockstream's strategy to deliver end-to-end Bitcoin solutions built on Blockstream's full technology stack. In January, Blockstream Capital Partners also completed a $75 million strategic investment into Komainu, a regulated digital asset custodian backed by Nomura's Laser Digital. The investment supports the integration of Blockstream's Liquid Network, Asset Management Platform (AMP) and enterprise-grade hardware security module (HSM) into Komainu's custody and off-exchange settlement systems, helping to raise the bar for institutional-grade infrastructure within the Bitcoin ecosystem. A Future Centered on Bitcoin Innovation Blockstream's long-term commitment to Bitcoin R&D remains at the heart of its vision. In November 2024, the company launched a dedicated research center in Lugano, Switzerland, focused on accelerating product development for the Liquid and Lightning networks and fostering collaboration with startups and academic institutions across Europe. To further support its global expansion, Blockstream also opened a new office in Tokyo in early 2025, strengthening its presence in Asia and expanding collaboration with partners and developers in the region. These efforts reinforce Bitcoin's role as a global financial and settlement layer, while supporting the next wave of decentralized innovation. For media enquiries, please contact Edward Moore, Blockstream Head of Public Relations ( [email protected] ) About Blockstream Founded in 2014, Blockstream is a global leader in Bitcoin and blockchain infrastructure, with offices and team members distributed around the world. Serving as the technology provider for the Liquid Network, Blockstream offers a sidechain solution that enables secure, trustless Bitcoin swap settlements and robust smart contracts, empowering financial institutions to tokenize assets efficiently. The companyʼs Core Lightning is a leading implementation of the open Lightning Network protocol, widely adopted for enterprise Bitcoin Lightning Network deployments. Blockstream Jade, an open-source hardware wallet, delivers advanced security for Bitcoin and Liquid assets in an easy-to-use form factor. Blockstream Green serves as a gateway to Blockstreamʼs cutting-edge technology suite, seamlessly integrating with Jade, Core Lightning, Bitcoin, and a rapidly-growing portfolio of tokenized assets on Liquid, offering a comprehensive solution for self-custody. View source version on CONTACT: Edward Moore Blockstream Head of Public Relations [email protected] KEYWORD: NORTH AMERICA CANADA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY CRYPTOCURRENCY OTHER TECHNOLOGY DIGITAL CASH MANAGEMENT/DIGITAL ASSETS SOURCE: Blockstream Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 04/30/2025 10:00 AM/DISC: 04/30/2025 10:02 AM
Axios
29-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
Bitcoin offers a politics-free medium for payments
Stablecoins are the biggest success in the world of cryptocurrency, with one exception: the original cryptocurrency, bitcoin, is bigger than all the rest of the crypto market, including stablecoins, combined. Why it matters: There are companies that believe the Bitcoin blockchain should also secure stablecoins — the tokens pegged to real-world money — which are being called the industry's killer app. The big picture: The market has made it very clear what it likes about stablecoins: speed, transparency and, most importantly, very close to zero volatility. Bitcoiners have an alternative thesis, that what the world really needs is money without politics. Bitcoin is really the only large, highly liquid and credibly neutral layer of transaction in the world. State of play: Bitcoin's blockchain is pricey to use, but its sister network, Lightning, is not. Credibly neutral it may be, but there's not a popular low-volatility instrument on Bitcoin or Lightning, yet. Driving the news: Lightspark announced Tuesday that it's created Spark, which enables issuing tokens and building apps in a trust-minimized way, one that relies on Bitcoin for security guarantees, in order to create a substrate that thousands of stablecoins could transact over. Lightspark previously released an easy-to-understand payments addressing system that looks like email, that international banks like Xapo and Nubank use today. It just announced a partnership with a platform for issuing stablecoins. What they're saying: Lightspark CEO David Marcus (an alum of PayPal and Meta, when it was still Facebook) tells Axios that it wants to make the Bitcoin blockchain the transaction medium for all kinds of stablecoins — thousands of them. "The way that the market currently is configured for stablecoins is not going to be the way that the market will look like two years from now," Marcus said. Between the lines: Stablecoins are attractive to banks and fintechs because issuers get to keep the yield earned off the principle, making for a very easy and sweet profit margin, at least at times with high interest rates. But if dropping interest rates don't kill that margin, competition will. Stablecoin issuers are already finding ways to share their yield with holders as a way to increase market share. But Lightspark has a plan for issuers to make money even after market forces push them turn over all their yields to users, which is only a matter of time. Zoom out: Lightspark isn't the only company out there looking to move global transactions onto Bitcoin. Strike is another Bitcoin-powered company that reaches 100 countries. Its founder managed to sell El Salvador on Bitcoin. It already enables stablecoin withdrawals in several companies. And it allows the most dedicated Bitcoiners to pay bills through the Strike app, with either bitcoins or money. What we're watching: Block Inc.'s Square point-of-sale network. Block has leaned into crypto, but mostly into bitcoin as an investment. It could, however, tap into stablecoins as a new payment option. It has a team working on it, based on LinkedIn posts. Block declined to comment for Axios. The intrigue: In a world that's becoming increasingly polarized, the U.S. weaponization of the dollar could drive more nations away from payment rails powered by U.S. money. If they have a hard time agreeing on an alternative state-backed medium, Bitcoin is right there. A convenient non-political meeting place for nations looking for an alternative. All it needs is for someone to build a system that could handle that kind of load.
