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Lending is the single biggest use case for Bitcoin.

Full stop.

To capture the benefits of your appreciated Bitcoin you've been holding for so long. You have two options:

1. To sell and pay the tax

2. Take a loan, pay some amount of interest, and still get the upside if the price increases.

In this episode, we sit down with Matthew Black and Jay Patel, founders of Lygos Finance, to discuss the future of non-custodial Bitcoin lending.

We dive deep into Discreet Log Contracts (DLCs), why they might be the "Holy Grail" for Bitcoin-backed loans, and how Lygos is building a platform that gives you 50% LTV liquidity while keeping your keys (mostly) in your pocket. We also cover the "interest rate inversion" between DeFi and CeFi, and why institutional capital is finally waking up to Bitcoin as pristine collateral.**Timestamps:**00:00 Intro01:26 From Atomic Swaps to Bitcoin Loans (Matthew's Story)02:53 Lessons from the BlockFi/Celsius Blowups05:55 Why They Pivoted from Options to Loans10:13 Why DLCs are the Holy Grail for Lending18:34 Lygos Product Walkthrough: How it Works27:42 The Truth About "Trustless" (Oracle Risk Explained)37:26 The Capital Markets Thesis: Why Institutions Want In43:23 The Interest Rate Mystery: DeFi vs CeFi48:40 Bitcoin Upgrades: CTV, CAT & Covenants**Links & Resources:**- Lygos Finance: https://www.lygos.finance/- Follow Lygos on X: https://x.com/LygosFinance- Follow Matthew: https://x.com/matthewjablack- Follow Jay: https://x.com/jaypatel

Follow the Built on Bitcoin pod on X: @JakeBlockchainWe sat down with Shehzan Maredia, the CEO of Lava, to discuss their recent $200m raise of VC & debt for growth, launch of the Bitcoin-backed line-of-credit product called BLOC, and address questions around changing of custody and concerns recently brought to light on the timeline.Follow Shehzan on X: Shehzan MarediaLearn more about Lava: Homepage

Follow me on X: https://x.com/JakeBlockchain

I'm joined by David Seroy, Ecosystem Lead at @AlpenLabs, to discuss their groundbreaking work on Bitcoin. We cover: → What GLOCK is & how it improves on BitVM → The future of Bitcoin rollups → Why Alpen is 'd

Learn more about Alpen Labs: https://www.alpenlabs.io/

Follow David on X: https://x.com/david_seroy

Follow me on X: https://x.com/JakeBlockchain

Title says it all. Covering news from Lightspark, Spark, Arkade, Joltz, River, BitcoinYield, BitBIt, SatGo, Atomiq, Seth for Privacy, MagicEden and more.

Join the Built on Bitcoin Newsletter: https://builtonbitcoin.beehiiv.com/subscribeThe conversations that build tomorrow's economy. Beyond the tribes. Ahead of the trend.In a charged debate hosted by Jacob Brown, Harsha Goli champions the Lightning Network's surging adoption and technical leaps, painting a picture of a scalable future for Bitcoin. Countering this optimism, Paul Sztorc draws historical parallels to argue for caution, emphasizing the critical need for self-custody and raising concerns about custodial solutions and the hub-and-spoke model. This discussion dives deep into the technical hurdles, the passionate community divide, and the very real implications for Bitcoin's scaling and investment potential. Is Lightning the key to Bitcoin's mainstream success, or is it facing an uphill battle against inherent limitations and regulatory pressures?

If you want to understand the forces shaping Bitcoin's future, this is the episode for you.The kickback crew is back after an 8-month hiatus to discuss:00:00 Running and Training for Marathons01:59 Reflections on Bitcoin Vegas05:52 The OP_RETURN Drama and Bitcoin Core12:08 Scaling Bitcoin: CTV and CheckSig from Stack24:52 Debating Bitcoin Upgrades30:01 The Rise of OdinFun33:11 Alkanes and Meta Protocols42:59 Nerdaxes and Open Source MiningFollow the crew on TwitterCharlie: https://x.com/cbspearsBob: https://x.com/BobBodilyDonny: https://x.com/itsdonnyokJake: https://x.com/JakeBlockchainFollow the Built on Bitcoin podcast on Twitter: https://x.com/builtonbtcpodCatch up on past episodes at https://www.builtonbitcoin.xyz/Subscribe to the newsletter:https://builtonbitcoin.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Kevin He, a seasoned blockchain architect with experience launching multiple L1s/L2s (including Huobi Eco Chain), joins the show to discuss Bitlayer. We explore his journey into crypto, the genesis of Bitlayer, and take a deep dive into BitVM technology - what it is, how it works, its current development status (BitVM 2, Alliance progress, auditing), and how Bitlayer is leveraging it to build trust-minimized Bitcoin L2 solutions, focusing on DeFi. Kevin shares insights on the Bitcoin opcode debate, the future of Bitcoin scaling, and reveals Bitlayer's upcoming BitVM bridge mainnet launch.

What we talk about: 00:56 Kevin's Background: Building L1s/L2s & Early Lessons 10:36 The Genesis of Bitlayer & Addressing Bitcoin L2 Needs 18:00 Discovering BitVM: A Breakthrough for Bitcoin L2 Security 26:45 BitVM Explained: Verification, Not Just Computation 34:37 BitVM Development: V1 vs V2, ZK Challenges & Bridge Focus 41:30 Inside the BitVM Alliance: Technical Progress & On-Chain Impact 48:00 Alpha Leak: BitVM Auditing & Mainnet Progress 54:30 The Bitcoin Opcode Debate: Necessity and Impact on BitVM 01:04:00 Long-Term Bitcoin Sustainability: Fees vs Subsidy & Upgrades 01:08:00 Bitlayer's BitVM Bridge Mainnet Launch & Partnerships

Follow Bitlayer on Twitter: @BitlayerLabs

Learn more about Bitlayer: [https://www.bitlayer.org/](https://www.bitlayer.org/)

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Follow me on Twitter: @JakeBlockchain

Stay updated on everything Built on Bitcoin podcast: [https://www.builtonbitcoin.xyz/](https://www.builtonbitcoin.xyz/)

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Building something amazing on Bitcoin? Connect with us at the Bitcoin Frontier Fund. We invest and assist the best early-stage founders building new user-cases for Bitcoin.

Website: [https://www.btcfrontier.fund/](https://www.btcfrontier.fund/)

Twitter: [https://twitter.com/BTCFrontierFund](https://twitter.com/BTCFrontierFund)

Love yall! See you in the next episode. Peace!

Is Lightning on its way out or primed for massive adoption? This is a question underlying so much of the discussion around Lightning on the timeline. So I sat down with Graham to discuss the state of Lightning in 2025. Recently they published a report in partnership with Fidelity Digital Assets and presented some great stats on the health of the network. This episode will make you bullish on Lightning. Check out this conversation with Graham Krizek - CEO & Founder of Voltage Cloud. Follow Graham on Twitter: https://x.com/gkrizek?lang=en Learn more about Voltage: https://www.voltage.cloud/

In this conversation, we sit down with Harsha Goli and delve into the complexities of Bitcoin compliance, exploring the challenges faced by startups in navigating regulatory landscapes. Harsha shares his extensive background in the Bitcoin space, highlighting the importance of compliance and the impact of regulations on innovation. We discuss the current state of regulatory uncertainty, the implications of KYC and AML requirements, and the evolving role of custodial and non-custodial solutions. The conversation also touches on the tax implications of cryptocurrency transactions and the future of stablecoins in the regulatory framework.

Follow Harsha on Twitter: @_arshbot

Learn more about Magnolia on their website: https://magnolia.financial/

In this episode, we sit down with Dominik Harz, co-founder of BOB (Build on Bitcoin), to explore the cutting edge of Bitcoin scaling and interoperability. Dom dives deep into the challenges and opportunities of building on Bitcoin, focusing on Bob's innovative approach to bridging Bitcoin with other networks like Ethereum using BitVM. We discuss the importance of network effects, the intricacies of cross-chain security, and the practical considerations for users interacting with these technologies. Dom also shares his journey from academia to entrepreneurship and the unique hybrid L2 model Bob is implementing. This conversation provides a fascinating look into the future of Bitcoin and its potential to connect with the broader crypto ecosystem.

What we talk about:

• Dominik's background and journey into the Bitcoin space
• The evolution of Bitcoin and the need for scaling solutions
• Bob's approach to bridging Bitcoin with other chains using BitVM
• The importance of network effects in crypto
• Challenges and solutions in cross-chain security
• Practical considerations for users and the future of Bob
• The hybrid L2 model and its implications
• Transitioning from academia to entrepreneurship

Follow Dominik Harz on Twitter: https://x.com/dominik0_

Learn more about Bob: https://www.gobob.xyz/