Most articles about "Bitcoin staking" are quietly describing something else. They're talking about wrapping your BTC into a different token, bridging it to another chain, or depositing it into a custodial platform that does whatever it wants with your coins behind the scenes.
That's not staking. That's lending. And in many cases, it means you've already sold your Bitcoin exposure the moment you signed the transaction.
Real Bitcoin staking means your BTC stays BTC. You keep the exposure, keep the upside, and you earn something on top. The methods vary from native timelocks, liquid staking tokens to yield tokenization, but the principle stays the same: you don't have to give up your Bitcoin to make it work for you.
This list applies that filter. If a protocol requires you to permanently swap out of BTC or hand custody to a black box, it's not here. What's left is the actual ecosystem of protocols doing this properly in 2025.
Here are the 10 that are worth knowing:
1. Babylon - The One That Changes Everything
What it is: A protocol that lets you stake native BTC directly on Bitcoin's base layer using cryptographic timelocks, earning staking rewards from Proof-of-Stake chains without ever bridging or wrapping your coins.
Why it matters: Babylon is the only protocol where your BTC genuinely never leaves the Bitcoin network. It uses Bitcoin's native UTXO timelock mechanism (OP_CSV) to lock funds and slash keys cryptographically if validators misbehave. Your coins stay in your wallet. You earn BABY tokens as rewards. There's no bridge to trust, no smart contract on another chain holding your BTC hostage. For a long time, people said "Bitcoin can't stake." Babylon is the clearest proof that was wrong.
Key features:
BTC stays on Bitcoin L1, no bridging required
Cryptographic slashing without moving your coins
Earns BABY token rewards
Non-custodial by design
Powers the security of multiple PoS networks
The catch: Yields are currently modest (around 1% in BABY tokens), and you're taking on BABY token price risk as your reward. The protocol is also still maturing — it's real and live, but not battle-hardened at scale yet.
2. Core (Satoshi Plus) - Stack BTC From Your Own Wallet
What it is: An EVM-compatible Layer-1 blockchain that lets Bitcoin holders delegate hash power and timelock BTC in their own wallet using CLTV (CheckLockTimeVerify), earning CORE token rewards without ever touching a bridge.
Why it matters: Core's Satoshi Plus consensus model is architecturally clever. You lock BTC using Bitcoin's native timelocking, designate a validator on Core, and earn CORE tokens from block emissions. Your BTC never leaves your control. The lock is enforced by Bitcoin's own scripting language. There's no multisig group you're trusting, no bridge operator who can disappear. It's as close to "native Bitcoin staking with external rewards" as anything else on this list.
Key features:
CLTV timelocks keep BTC fully in user custody
No bridging or wrapping required
Earns CORE token rewards
Bitcoin miners can also participate via hash power delegation
EVM-compatible chain with growing DeFi ecosystem
The catch: You're earning CORE tokens, not BTC, so you're exposed to CORE price volatility. And delegating to the wrong validator carries risk, as with any DPoS system.
3. Solv Protocol - Liquid Staking at Scale
What it is: A liquid staking protocol that lets you deposit BTC and receive SolvBTC, a liquid representation of your staked Bitcoin, which can then be deployed across multiple DeFi strategies while still accruing staking rewards.
Why it matters: Solv introduced the concept of a Staking Abstraction Layer (SAL) — essentially a routing system that handles BTC staking across Babylon and other protocols, then hands you a single liquid token (SolvBTC) that earns yield automatically. SolvBTC.BBN, for instance, routes your BTC into Babylon while keeping it usable as collateral elsewhere. It's the closest thing Bitcoin has to Ethereum's liquid staking experience, and it's already become one of the largest BTC liquid staking protocols by TVL.
Key features:
SolvBTC liquid token maintains BTC price exposure
Routes to multiple underlying protocols (Babylon, etc.)
Active in multiple DeFi ecosystems
Multi-chain deployments (BNB Chain, Ethereum, Arbitrum)
Over $1.5B TVL at peak
The catch: You're trusting Solv's smart contracts and their oracle and routing systems. It's audited and battle-tested, but it's not the same risk profile as holding native BTC.
4. Acre (stBTC) - Set It and Forget It Bitcoin Yield
What it is: A Bitcoin staking protocol where you deposit BTC, receive stBTC, and the protocol automatically distributes your Bitcoin across various yield strategies — Babylon, Bitcoin L2s, lending pools — managed by a decentralized dispatcher.
Why it matters: Acre is designed for people who want Bitcoin yield without having to become a DeFi power user. You deposit, you get stBTC, and the Acre Dispatcher handles allocation. The protocol is governed by veACRE holders who vote monthly on strategy. Crucially, stBTC is non-rebasing — your token balance stays flat but its underlying value increases. That makes it clean to hold and easy to integrate into other protocols.
Key features:
Automatic multi-strategy allocation
51-of-100 multisig custody via decentralized nodes
Converts to tBTC (Threshold) internally for on-chain deployment
stBTC is transferable and DeFi-composable
Monthly governance votes on allocation
The catch: The conversion to tBTC means there's a layer of trust in Threshold Network's bridge. It's well-audited, but it's still a bridge in the stack.
5. Lombard Finance (LBTC) - Babylon's Liquid Wrapper
What it is: A liquid staking protocol built directly on top of Babylon, letting users deposit BTC and receive LBTC — a liquid, yield-bearing Bitcoin token that accrues Babylon staking rewards while remaining deployable across DeFi.
Why it matters: Lombard is essentially the liquid staking layer that makes Babylon accessible to DeFi users. Raw Babylon staking locks your BTC. Lombard wraps that experience into LBTC, which you can use as collateral, provide to liquidity pools, or hold while the yield accrues. It's live on Ethereum and several L2s. The institutional-grade custody and direct Babylon integration make it one of the more credible liquid staking options in the Bitcoin ecosystem.
Key features:
Direct Babylon integration (LBTC accrues Babylon rewards)
Deployed on Ethereum, Base, and other L2s
CoinCover-backed insurance layer
Institutional-grade custody through Copper
Composable across Ethereum DeFi
The catch: You're bridging to Ethereum to use LBTC in DeFi, which adds cross-chain risk. And the institutional custody layer, while professional, means some centralization in the stack.
6. Stacks (sBTC / Stacking) - Earn Native BTC Rewards
What it is: A Bitcoin-native smart contract platform with two distinct mechanisms: Stacking (locking STX tokens to earn BTC rewards) and sBTC (a decentralized Bitcoin peg enabling BTC in smart contracts without bridges).
Why it matters: Stacks is the only protocol where you can earn actual Bitcoin — not wrapped Bitcoin, not a BTC-denominated token, but real BTC — as staking rewards. Stackers lock STX in two-week cycles and receive BTC from the Proof-of-Transfer (PoX) mechanism, funded by transaction fees on Stacks. The average APY has historically sat around 8-10%. sBTC, meanwhile, allows BTC holders to move native Bitcoin into Stacks' smart contract environment with a decentralized peg rather than a bridge.
Key features:
Stacking earns real BTC rewards (not tokens)
PoX consensus uses BTC to secure the Stacks network
sBTC peg is maintained by a decentralized signer network
Smart contract environment directly connected to Bitcoin
Average stacking APY around 8-10%
The catch: To stack, you need STX — not BTC. If you're a pure Bitcoin holder, you're adding a different asset to your portfolio to participate. sBTC is closer to the "keep your BTC" ideal, but it's newer and still building liquidity.
7. Bedrock (uniBTC) - Multi-Protocol Bitcoin Yield
What it is: A multi-asset liquid staking protocol that lets users deposit BTC (including native Bitcoin, WBTC, and cbBTC) and receive uniBTC, a liquid staking token that routes assets across Babylon and other yield sources.
Why it matters: Bedrock differentiates by accepting multiple forms of Bitcoin — not just native BTC — and unifying them into a single liquid staking token. uniBTC is actively integrated across DeFi protocols on Ethereum and L2s, and the protocol's routing connects it to Babylon for the underlying yield source. For users who already hold WBTC or cbBTC, this provides an easy on-ramp to Bitcoin staking yields without converting back to native BTC first.
Key features:
Accepts native BTC, WBTC, and cbBTC
uniBTC deployable across DeFi ecosystems
Babylon-backed yield source
Live on Ethereum, BNB Chain, and others
Audited by multiple security firms
The catch: The multi-asset model means you're trusting conversion and custody mechanisms for different BTC variants. The abstraction is convenient but adds complexity in the risk stack.
8. BounceBit - The Dual-Staking Yield Engine
What it is: A Bitcoin restaking infrastructure that uses a dual-staking model — users stake both BTC and BBTC (BounceBit's native token) simultaneously to earn yield from CeFi premium capture strategies and restaking rewards.
Why it matters: BounceBit takes a different architectural approach. Instead of pure DeFi yield, it connects Bitcoin staking to CeFi delta-neutral strategies (essentially, hedged yield from professional trading desks), distributing returns back to stakers. The dual-staking model means both BTC holders and BBTC holders earn, with BBTC also securing BounceBit's own Proof-of-Stake chain. It's an honest hybrid between CeFi and DeFi yield, and the returns have been competitive.
Key features:
Dual-staking model (BTC + BBTC)
CeFi premium capture for yield generation
BBTC earns additional network security rewards
Cross-chain compatibility
Full custody maintained by Mainnet Digital
The catch: The CeFi component means you're trusting trading desk operations, not just smart contracts. It's a more opaque yield source than pure on-chain protocols, and the BBTC exposure adds token risk.
9. Pendle Finance - Trade the Yield on Your Bitcoin
What it is: A yield tokenization protocol that splits yield-bearing Bitcoin assets (like SolvBTC or LBTC) into two components — a Principal Token (PT) and a Yield Token (YT) — allowing users to lock in fixed yields or speculate on variable rates.
Why it matters: Pendle doesn't stake Bitcoin. It tokenizes the yield from assets that do. If you hold SolvBTC.BBN or LBTC, you can deposit into Pendle and receive a PT (guaranteed principal at maturity) and a YT (all the yield from the underlying position). This lets you do things pure staking doesn't: lock in a fixed APY on your BTC regardless of future rate changes, or sell the yield upfront and keep your principal fully intact. For sophisticated BTC holders, Pendle is a yield management layer on top of staking, not a replacement for it.
Key features:
Fixed yield locking on BTC staking assets
PT and YT mechanics for yield speculation
Specialized AMM for yield tokens
No need to directly stake — works on top of existing positions
Live on Ethereum, Arbitrum, and other chains
The catch: Pendle is genuinely complex. PT/YT mechanics have expiry dates, impermanent loss dynamics specific to their AMM, and require understanding yield markets to use well. Not for beginners.
10. BOB (Build on Bitcoin) - The BTC Staking Aggregator
What it is: A Bitcoin-secured hybrid Layer 2 (using both Bitcoin PoW and Ethereum's ecosystem) that aggregates multiple BTC staking strategies — Babylon, Solv, Lombard, and more — into a single interface secured at the Bitcoin base layer.
Why it matters: BOB is less of a staking protocol and more of a staking coordination layer. It's EVM-compatible, so it can run smart contracts, but it's secured by Bitcoin's proof-of-work. Within BOB, users can access liquid staking tokens like SolvBTC.BBN, lend through tBTC, and execute yield strategies with a single BTC transaction via wallets like Xverse. The pitch is: one place, multiple strategies, Bitcoin security underneath everything.
Key features:
Aggregates SolvBTC, tBTC, and other BTC liquid tokens
EVM-compatible for full DeFi access
Secured by Bitcoin PoW via merged mining
Non-custodial with low minimums
Single BTC transaction to access multiple strategies
The catch: BOB's "Bitcoin security" claim is architectural — you're still interacting with smart contracts and bridges for most yield strategies. It's a more convenient wrapper, not a fundamentally different risk profile.
What this list reveals to you...
Look at the landscape across these 10 protocols and a few things become clear.
The purest "no selling required" options — Babylon and Core — are also the newest and least mature by TVL. The liquid staking protocols (Solv, Acre, Lombard, Bedrock) have more traction and better DeFi composability, but they all add some form of wrapping, smart contract trust, or bridge dependency in the stack.
That tradeoff is the defining tension of Bitcoin staking in 2026. You can have simplicity (native BTC, no bridge, lower yield) or you can have composability (liquid tokens, DeFi integration, more yield options). You rarely get both at the same time.
The protocols that will matter most in two years are the ones threading this needle — building native Bitcoin yield mechanisms that don't require users to step outside the Bitcoin trust model to access them. Babylon and Core are the clearest bets on that thesis today. The rest are building real infrastructure in the meantime.
Bitcoin has more liquidity than any asset in crypto. The infrastructure to put that liquidity to work is finally being built. This is what that looks like in its early form.
Staking is one piece of the puzzle. If you're building out your Bitcoin DeFi strategy, the rest of the infrastructure matters just as much. We've covered the best Bitcoin lending protocols for putting idle BTC to work through credit markets, and the best Bitcoin DEXes if you want to trade without leaving the Bitcoin ecosystem. For a broader view of what's actually being built on Bitcoin right now, the top Bitcoin dApps list covers the applications worth knowing. And if you're running any of this infrastructure yourself, top Bitcoin RPC providers is worth a read.
