5 Projects That Are Powering the Rise of Bitcoin-Native Finance

Bitcoin DeFi isn’t just alive – it’s thriving as projects operating across a slew of onchain verticals leverage the OG network’s unrivaled security and liquidity to create novel financial solutions. Stablecoins. Lending. Payments. You name it, it’s being built on Bitcoin. And users are finally taking to it with aplomb. Now that the core tooling and infra has been built out, almost anything that can be done on Ethereum can be done on Bitcoin, enhanced by being anchored to the security of Proof of Work.

It’s been a long time in the making, but Bitcoin DeFi is finally a working reality. Despite the limitations of the Bitcoin network’s non-Turing complete scripting language, when scalable Layer 2s are plugged in, including EVM-compatible chains – these barriers are effectively overcome. As a result, onchain finance on Bitcoin – both decentralized and centralized – is positively thriving as the following five projects show. They’re not the only ones operating on the frontlines of Bitcoin finance, but they deserve credit for doing much of the heavy lifting. The innovations they’ve fostered have raised the bar for what can be done with BTC.

Strike: Global BTC Payments via Lightning Network

Who said Bitcoin was too slow and expensive for payments? When you’re using Lightning Network (LN), fees are nominal and confirmations are almost instant. And complexity isn’t an issue either when you’re using Strike to handle the entire process, making LN feel as easy to use as paying with credit card. The Strike app effectively transforms BTC and other assets into currencies that can be used for sending payments globally. It even allows individuals and businesses to receive payments in their local currency.

One of the most promising applications for Strike is in the field of remittance – unsurprisingly it’s proving particularly popular in LATAM countries such as Mexico, aided by partnerships with local payment providers. Strike is also ideal for saving bitcoin – convert your fiat into BTC and start stacking sats – and it can also be used for bill payments and lending. You don’t have to be a hardcore bitcoiner to appreciate Strike, but if you’re big on BTC, it’s the ultimate payment and savings app.

Roxom: The First Bitcoin-Based Stock Exchange

Imagine being able to trade stocks using bitcoin. Well stop imagining cos from September that’s exactly what you’ll be able to do. There’s a lot of excitement building around Roxom as it finalizes its novel exchange that looks to bring TradFi to Bitcoin – or is it the other way around? Whatever the case, the facts are thus: soon you’ll be able to trade stocks and other traditional markets using BTC as collateral.

This means the ability to go long or short on RWAs such as indices, commodities and FX, all priced in BTC. This means you don’t need to even mess around with fiat currency: you can work with the crypto you know and love the best, leveraging it to gain access to the best that TradFi has to offer. This is the evolution of Bitcoin infra: secure, versatile, and dependable. For institutions, professional traders, and experienced users with a foot in both worlds – onchain and off – Roxom is the real deal.

Mobilum: The Bitcoin Banking App

Mobilum aims to become the all-in-one bitcoin banking app, handling crypto-fiat payments within a single, user-friendly application. Sign up, get verified, order your Mobilum debit card and you can spend BTC and other cryptocurrencies anywhere Mastercard, Apple Pay, or Google Pay are accepted. The Mobilum app’s clean UX makes it easy to manage expenses, budget, and keep track of your finances. You can order multiple cards too, with the firm’s debit card soon to be complemented by a branded credit card.

Crypto-based payment and spending solutions have come a long way over the last five years as Mobilum shows. It’s no longer a case of still needing to rely on a conventional neobank app to take care of real-world bills: Mobilum can handle it all. Its app is naturally also handy when it comes to buying crypto, allowing you to stock up on BTC and other digital assets with the ability to cash out at any time. Mobilum’s neobank service is being gradually rolled out this year, transforming the application into the only banking app you’ll ever need.

Blockstream: Bitcoin’s Infra Specialist

Blockstream is one of Bitcoin’s oldest companies and few companies know their way around its codebase better than this industry OG. It’s played an outsized role in the development of Lightning Network and has its finger in many pies. Blockstream, remember, was the first company to put Bitcoin into space, using a satellite to enable anyone to sync their node and connect to its network – even if there’s no conventional internet. While many of Blockstream’s best-known products are developer-focused, it also builds B2C solutions that allow retail users to do more with their BTC.

The Blockstream app enables you to purchase BTC and securely self-custody it. The app is beautifully designed, elevating the user experience into something quite special. There might be a lot going on under the hood, but on the front end all of that complexity has been deftly abstracted. Naturally, it also integrates Lightning Network so you can use BTC exactly as you like, be it for spending or saving. Fully open source and independently auditable, the Blockstream app is as suited to beginners as it is to experienced users who’ve been slinging BTC since back in the day.

Stacks and Hiro Wallet: Bitcoin Smart Contracts on Layer 2

Stacks is the leading Bitcoin Layer 2, bringing powerful smart contract functionality that supports DeFi, Ordinals, and much more, all anchored by Bitcoin’s rock-solid security. For developers looking to take advantage of this capability, Hiro is the developer they turn to for tooling. Its dev solutions make it easier to get started building on Bitcoin, all enhanced by tutorials that provide full guidance from start to finish.

Using Hiro, for instance, it’s possible to create a great looking and highly secure Stacks wallet that can be used to interact with the numerous dapps that are now live on Stacks’ L2. Hiro provides wallet templates that can be rapidly customized and deployed, with plug-and-play add-ons such as Ordinals and Runes support. Stacks is starting to pick up real momentum now as DeFi takes root on its fast and low-cost Layer 2 and infra specialists such as Hiro are playing a major role in facilitating this.

If you’ve yet to seriously explore Bitcoin-based onchain finance, you’re missing out. There’s so much that can be done now within the Bitcoin ecosystem and it doesn’t require elite tech skills to get started. The learning curve has been massively reduced thanks to the efforts of projects such as the five profiled here. As a result, Bitcoin finance feels just like any other form of finance, be it web2 or web3-based but with one critical difference – it’s backed and secured by the soundest money ever made. If you’re bullish on Bitcoin, you should be bullish on Bitcoin-native finance. It’s going to change everything.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice