OpNet has been activated on the Bitcoin blockchain, introducing a smart-contract system designed to bring DeFi activity directly onto Bitcoin’s base layer. According to the project, users can now access functions such as swapping, staking, and token launches without using bridges, wrapped BTC, or moving assets off Bitcoin mainnet.
The key change is where the activity happens. Instead of sending BTC to another chain or relying on a synthetic version of bitcoin, OpNet says its design keeps transactions native to Bitcoin. Users connect a wallet to a DeFi application, keep their bitcoin in its original form, and continue paying fees in BTC.
Targeting the custody and bridge problem in Bitcoin DeFi
Bitcoin holders have long faced a narrow set of options if they wanted DeFi exposure. They often had to wrap BTC through centralized providers such as Bitgo or Coinbase, bridge assets to Ethereum or another smart-contract chain, or deposit funds into custodial lending platforms. Each path added another layer of reliance on outside infrastructure.
The source article says those steps introduced counterparty risk that ran against Bitcoin’s trustless and self-sovereign design. OpNet’s approach is to embed contract bytecode, parameters, and execution data directly into standard Bitcoin transactions. Those transactions are then confirmed by Bitcoin miners, with application execution and state anchored to Bitcoin’s base layer.
Mainnet debut includes DeFi tools and the OP-20 token standard
OpNet said its mainnet activation arrived with a live DeFi stack on Bitcoin layer 1, supporting permissionless smart-contract deployment. The initial ecosystem is focused on trading, yield generation, and native asset issuance. Developers can also issue tokens under the OP-20 standard and build DeFi applications that settle directly on Bitcoin.
In comments to CoinDesk, OpNet co-founder Chad Master said, “Every OpNet transaction is just a Bitcoin transaction. Users are never doing anything but making Bitcoin transactions.” He added that users can connect a BTC wallet, execute a trustless swap, and keep their bitcoin as bitcoin on the network.
At the time cited in the source material, BTC was priced at $64,168.87.