Circle launches 1:1 Bitcoin-backed token cirBTC, now live on Ethereum
On June 8th, Circle announced that its wrapped Bitcoin product, cirBTC, is officially live on the Ethereum network.
cirBTC is a token backed 1:1 by native Bitcoin, designed to provide a secure and neutral collateral asset for the DeFi market on Ethereum.
Reportedly, each cirBTC token issued on this network is backed by a 1:1 ratio of native BTC. The native BTC assets are custodied by regulated Circle entities, implementing strict reserve isolation with the company's own assets.
For Bitcoin holders, cirBTC enables the use of Bitcoin-backed collateral within supported third-party protocols without the need to sell their Bitcoin.
In fact, institutional activity on the Ethereum chain has already matured. Lending markets, decentralized exchange liquidity, tokenized assets, and stablecoin market circulation have developed into a fully operational infrastructure available around the clock.
Through Chainlink's proof of reserves, cirBTC allows for on-chain transparent verification of Bitcoin reserves, enabling counterparties to independently audit holdings directly on the blockchain network.
Compared to similar competitors, Circle adheres to a strategically neutral principle, not operating exchanges or lending platforms. This characteristic allows cirBTC to flexibly adapt to various third-party protocols, trading scenarios, and liquidity systems, making it widely applicable.
Moreover, in terms of ecosystem integration, institutional users can leverage Circle Mint to mint and redeem tokens while collaborating with the mainstream stablecoin USDC, streamlining fund custody, tokenization, and settlement processes.
According to the plan, cirBTC will subsequently launch on Circle's own Arc network and gradually expand into a multi-chain ecosystem layout, aiming to help build a connected on-chain financial infrastructure system.
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