BitcoinOS Launches Grail Bridge Testnet for Cross-Chain Transfers

BitcoinOS, a rollups protocol for Bitcoin, has announced the testnet launch of its cross-chain Bitcoin bridge solution, Grail Bridge.

The solution enables users to securely and trustlessly transfer Bitcoin (BTC) to Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible chains, according to the BitcoinOS team.

The Grail Bridge testnet follows a significant milestone for BitcoinOS in July 2024, when the platform successfully verified the first zero-knowledge proof on the Bitcoin mainnet. In November, the platform partnered with Merlin Chain to execute the first zero-knowledge bridge transaction.

The launch of Grail Bridge enhances scalability and functionality for users and developers on the Bitcoin network. Users and builders can now utilize this one-way bridging solution to move BTC to EVM chains.

The ZKP-powered platform released a whitepaper in April 2024, outlining solutions to Bitcoin’s scalability and smart contract limitations.

Integration and Supported Chains

In this first-stage testnet phase, BitcoinOS offers integration with Ethereum (ETH)’s testnet Holešky. It also supports Base Sepolia, Mode Sepolia, and the Merlin Chain testnet. The Grail Bridge testnet allows transactions across leading crypto wallets such as OKX, Xverse, Bitget, and Unisat. The testnet app also supports 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

Following the testnet launch, BitcoinOS anticipates its mainnet will go live in the second quarter of the year. Key security audits will be conducted ahead of that. The project plans to integrate with non-EVM chains, including Cardano and Solana.

BitcoinOS recently announced its expansion with Arbitrum integration, enabling trustless bridging with its native token, BOS. The BTC-Arbitrum bridge connects Bitcoin with Ethereum’s broader ecosystem, allowing Ethereum’s layer-2 to serve as a DeFi layer for Bitcoin.