BitcoinOS, a rollups protocol for Bitcoin, has announced the testnet launch of its cross-chain Bitcoin bridge solution, Grail Bridge.
In an announcement, the BitcoinOS team stated that the solution makes it possible for users to transfer Bitcoin to chains that are compatible with Ethereum Virtual Machine in a secure and trustworthy manner.
Following a significant achievement for BitcoinOS in July 2024, when the platform successfully confirmed the first zero-knowledge proof on the Bitcoin mainnet, the Grail Bridge testnet continues to be a significant milestone.
Beginning in November, the platform collaborated with Merlin Chain to carry out the very first transaction involving a bridge that required zero knowledge.
Users and developers on the Bitcoin network will benefit from increased scalability and functionality thanks to the launch of Grail Bridge, which puts BitcoinOS on the path to achieving these goals.
It is now possible for users and builders to make use of the one-way bridging solution in order to transfer Bitcoin to EVM chains. The ZKP-powered platform published a whitepaper in April 2024, which detailed potential solutions to the scalability and smart contract issues that Bitcoin faces.
Within the initial phase of the testnet, BitcoinOS provides the opportunity to integrate with the testnet Holešky, which is associated with Ethereum (ETH). Additionally, it is compatible with Base Sepolia, Mode Sepolia, and the testnet for the Merlin Chain.
Furthermore, the Grail Bridge testnet enables transactions to take place between prominent cryptocurrency wallets such as OKX, Xverse, Bitget, and Unisat. Additionally, the testnet app is compatible with WalletConnect.
“Launching the Grail app with EVM chains benefits the maximum number of stakeholders who have been eagerly anticipating being able to use BOS. We are leveraging EVM chain’s proven track record with ZKP and dominance in DeFi.”
Edan Yago, core contributor to BitcoinOS
Blockchain operating system BitcoinOS hopes that its mainnet will go live in the second quarter, following the debut of the testnet. Before that happens, there will be important security audits carried out.
Integration with non-EVM chains, such as Cardano and Solana, is in the works for this project as well.In a recent announcement, BitcoinOS revealed that it will be expanding its operations by integrating Arbitrum, which will allow for trustless bridging with its native token, BOS.
With the use of the BTC-Arbitrum bridge, Bitcoin is able to connect with the wider Ethereum ecosystem. Layer 2 of Ethereum can now serve as a DeFi layer for Bitcoin thanks to the implementation of zero-knowledge technology.
