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frBTC Roadmap

Progressive Decentralization​

The launch of frBTC on Alkanes marks a pivotal moment for Bitcoin DeFi. For the first time, users can access a truly native, decentralized BTC synthetic without leaving the Bitcoin L1 ecosystem.

This roadmap outlines our "Progressive Decentralization" strategy — a transparent, two-phased approach designed to ensure maximum security as we transition from a system with elements of human-accountability to one based purely on mathematical and economic guarantees.

A Note on Security

frBTC has undergone extensive ALPHA testing by our team and partners. While we have the utmost confidence in the security of the SUBFROST protocol, this technology is the first of its kind on Bitcoin L1. Our phased approach is designed to protect users as we progressively scale the system's trustlessness.

Core Technical Components​

The underlying technology remains consistent and robust across all phases, providing a stable and secure foundation for frBTC.

  • Libp2p for peer-to-peer networking.
  • wasm32-wasip2 for deterministic, sandboxed computation.
  • WebTransport (HTTP/3) for efficient and secure communication.
  • FROST & ROAST for cutting-edge threshold signatures.

The primary evolution across phases, therefore, is only the composition of the signer set.

ROADMAP​

ALPHA: Expected this month​

The ALPHA phase on Alkanes establishes the core functionality of frBTC with an advanced multisig protocol managed by the SUBFROST team and a trusted group of signers.

  • 9 key shares are held by participants with a significant vested interest in the long-term success of frBTC.
  • 6 signers are randomly selected from this group to authorize unwrap transactions.
  • Audits & Transparency: Formal security audits will begin as soon as possible, with progress communicated bi-weekly. We encourage users to review our materials and only participate in this phase with a full understanding that although many of its components have been audited, the end-to-end SUBFROST protocol has not. Use at your own risk.
  • Length: Expected to last 2-6 months.

Building is already underway on the Arch Network via the Titan Indexer, and on BRC2.0 (as the 6-byte ticker "fr-BTC").

Phase 1: Improved Doxxed Multisig​

This phase distributes the key shares among publicly known and trusted entities and individuals.

  • 9 initial key shares but as Total Value Locked (TVL) grows, the number of key shares will grow as well.
  • A quorum of 6 out of 9 signers will be required for any action, ensuring broad consensus among publicly accountable participants.
  • SUBFROST is expected to become open source during this phase.
  • Length: Expected to last 1-2 years while Bitcoin DeFi expands - fueled by frBTC.

Phase 2: Trustless Economic Security​

The final phase transitions frBTC to a fully trustless and decentralized model secured by robust economic incentives.

  • The signers from Phase 2 will be replaced by up to 255 permissionless stakers who must meet a significant economic threshold. This threshold will dynamically increase as TVL grows.
  • With up to 255 signers, 170 of the 255 will be randomly selected to sign unwrap transactions.
  • Staking: The stake is expected to be a combination of BTC in the form of frBTC, and the FROST token, creating a powerful incentive for honest participation. Learn more about staking on the SUBFROST's Proof-of-Stake page here.

Why a Phased Approach?​

This strategy is the most responsible way to build critical, decentralized, infrastructure on Bitcoin. It allows us to:

  1. Launch frBTC on mainnet with an unparalleled level of security, immediately unlocking growth and innovation in Bitcoin DeFi (Phase 1).
  2. Leverage the growth of frBTC to build the powerful economic incentives required to secure the SUBFROST protocol via a massive, decentralized staking network (Phase 2).

The Future is Bright for SUBFROST​

The SUBFROST protocol is designed to capture value from the growth it enables.

Currently, a fee of 0.1% across wrap and unwrap transactions provide a sufficient revenue stream with a direct benefit to Bitcoin DeFi at large. We are only getting started.

Furthermore, future offerings like the yield-bearing dxBTC token are built upon the success and utilization of frBTC, creating a flywheel of value for stakers and users alike.

The SUBFROST team has dedicated over seven years of research to solving the challenge of securing Bitcoin for productive use. We are proud to deliver on this vision and are more committed than ever to building the future of Bitcoin DeFi.