Citrea launched its mainnet on Jan. 27, marking a push to bring lending, trading, and settlement directly onto Bitcoin. The ZK-rollup-based layer aims to expand Bitcoin's utility beyond holding into programmable on-chain finance.
ZK-rollup application layer goes live
Positioned as an application layer for Bitcoin capital markets, Citrea keeps liquidity anchored to Bitcoin while enabling apps secured by the base chain. The network introduces two assets: cBTC, a Bitcoin-backed token, and ctUSD, a native stablecoin. cBTC uses zero-knowledge proofs and BitVM verification to reduce reliance on custodians or multisig setups. Fraud attempts can be challenged on Bitcoin mainnet as long as at least one honest participant exists, offering stronger security than earlier bridge designs.
Over 30 Bitcoin-secured apps debut
At launch, Citrea features more than 30 applications secured by Bitcoin, including decentralized exchanges, liquidity tools, early lending protocols, and privacy-focused services. Structured yield products and additional apps are expected in the coming weeks. The team highlighted the scale of the ecosystem as a differentiator among Bitcoin layer-2 projects.
Stablecoin infrastructure for liquidity
To support trading and settlement, Citrea integrated ctUSD, a stablecoin issued by MoonPay on M0's open stablecoin framework. The stablecoin is available in the U.S. (excluding New York) and over 160 other countries, designed with institutional compliance in mind. Users can deploy ctUSD for payments and liquidity within Citrea's ecosystem.
Dashboard and ecosystem tracking
A user dashboard launched alongside the mainnet, allowing asset management, activity tracking, and app exploration. On-chain actions from day one are recorded, with plans to expand features as more tools come online. The dashboard aims to improve user experience and transparency.
Looking ahead, Citrea plans to grow Bitcoin-denominated financial activity and strengthen miner incentives through higher network usage. The team views the mainnet as an early step toward making Bitcoin an active financial platform, not just a store of value.