Bitcoin (BTC) is known for its immutability and the hard-coded rules that make the system secure but slow to modernize. However, that doesn’t mean the Bitcoin blockchain — the underlying network that empowers the original cryptocurrency — is closed to innovation and development. Even though the initial efforts to introduce decentralized finance (DeFi) to Bitcoin such as cross-chain bridges and wrapped tokens resulted in a massive wave of hacks and exploits in the DeFi space, developers continue to look for new and more reliable ways to tap into the unmatched liquidity of the BTC pool.
Launched in November 2021, the Bitcoin Taproot upgrade was an important step in adding extra functionality to the base layer of Bitcoin. Among other benefits, including cheaper and more efficient transactions, the Taproot upgrade also introduced rudimentary smart contracts — the backbone of DeFi — to Bitcoin for the first time.
The Taproot upgrade adds rudimentary smart contracts to the Bitcoin network. Source: Chaindebrief
Bitcoin DeFi: The first attempt
Smart contracts are automated…