Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) is an ERC20 token on Ethereum, backed 1:1 by Bitcoin (BTC). Launched in January 2019, it bridges Bitcoin's liquidity into Ethereum's ecosystem, enabling its use in decentralised applications (dApps), decentralised exchanges (DEXs), and DeFi protocols. WBTC tokens are fully backed by Bitcoin held securely by custodians, with all transactions and reserves transparently auditable on-chain. The wrapping process involves three stages: receiving, minting, and burning, ensuring seamless conversion between Bitcoin and WBTC. Initially created by BitGo, Kyber Network, and Ren, WBTC is governed by the WBTC DAO, a decentralised organisation overseeing merchants and custodians. WBTC is compatible with Ethereum wallets and dApps and supports cross-chain interoperability, being available on Ethereum, Base, Kava, and Osmosis. Its primary use cases include providing liquidity to DEXs, enabling DeFi participation, and facilitating Bitcoin's integration with smart contracts.
