Lightning Labs teases protocol for minting RWAs, stablecoins on Bitcoin

Developers now have “the complete set of tools to start issuing, managing and exploring mainnet assets on-chain,” says business development director

article-image

sukrit3d/Shutterstock modified by Blockworks

share

Are stablecoins and other real-world assets coming to Bitcoin? A new release from Lightning Labs may enable just that. 

Lightning Network developers Lightning Labs announced on Wednesday the “mainnet alpha” release of Taproot Assets, a protocol for minting non-native assets to Bitcoin, and eventually to the Lightning Network. 

In a blog post from Lightning Labs, business development director Ryan Gentry wrote that developers now have “the complete set of tools to start issuing, managing and exploring mainnet assets on-chain.”

The blog post emphasized stablecoins in particular as a promising design space, pointing to recent research that shows stablecoin projects are, in aggregate, now among the largest holders of US Treasurys in the world. 

Additionally, the blog cited a recent Blockworks article, noting that stablecoins are an ideal alternative to local currencies in emerging economies

“Over 2 billion people live under double or triple digit inflation in their local currencies, making a stablecoin’s price stability relative to the dollar even more attractive. We believe that Taproot Assets bringing stablecoins to bitcoin wallets will only accelerate the process of bringing bitcoin (BTC) to those billions of people,” he wrote. 

Developers have reportedly begun experimenting with “gold, US Treasurys, corporate bonds with programmatic coupon payments and more.”

The launch of the protocol comes amid a surge of activity in Bitcoin development. The 2021 “Taproot” upgrade to the network — the first since 2017 — significantly expanded the theoretical capabilities of the chain from a development perspective. 

Since then, native NFTs from developer Casey Rodamor – also referred to as Ordinals – have led to a surge in transactions and interest in Bitcoin blockspace. 

Likewise, in October a research paper proposed “BitVM,” a protocol that would leverage Taproot to enable the creation of a zero-knowledge light client for Bitcoin that would theoretically be Turing complete. 


Start your day with top crypto insights from David Canellis and Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter.

Explore the growing intersection between crypto, macroeconomics, policy and finance with Ben Strack, Casey Wagner and Felix Jauvin. Subscribe to the Forward Guidance newsletter.

Get alpha directly in your inbox with the 0xResearch newsletter — market highlights, charts, degen trade ideas, governance updates, and more.

The Lightspeed newsletter is all things Solana, in your inbox, every day. Subscribe to daily Solana news from Jack Kubinec and Jeff Albus.

Tags

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 18 - 20, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Brooklyn, NY

TUES - THURS, JUNE 24 - 26, 2025

Permissionless IV serves as the definitive gathering for crypto’s technical founders, developers, and builders to come together and create the future.If you’re ready to shape the future of crypto, Permissionless IV is where it happens.

recent research

Unlocked Advisory-min.png

Research

This report distills Blockworks Advisory’s research on incentive programs and their analysis, offering a foundation for designing future initiatives and advancing industry-wide standards. By highlighting key lessons and methodologies, we aim to empower protocols to make informed, data-driven decisions.

article-image

Many analysts expected bitcoin to top $100K before year-end, though it’s been on a post-election tear

article-image

Will investors take a 10% lower return to get access to a regulated investment wrapper?

article-image

Brian Armstrong called out the hire of Gurbir Grewal, who had been the SEC’s enforcement division director since 2021

article-image

Certain senators will be interested to learn about Atkins’s private sector business interests, specifically those related to crypto

article-image

Innovative smart debt and collateral features are fueling Fluid’s rise to $1.2 billion TVL, reshaping the Instadapp brand

article-image

Crypto’s liquidity engine is now worth over $300 billion