Lombard Partners with Story to Build Bitcoin-Backed IP Infrastructure for Creators
October 16, 2025 — Bitcoin liquidity protocol Lombard has partnered with Story, a layer-1 blockchain for programmable intellectual property (IP), to create a Bitcoin-based collateral and royalty system for global creators.
According to a press release shared with crypto.news, the integration will bring Lombard’s $3 billion in Bitcoin liquidity directly into the Story Protocol, tackling two long-standing issues in the creative economy — slow royalty payments and weak IP enforcement.
The partnership introduces two core innovations:
- Bitcoin Revenue Distribution — enabling instant, borderless royalty payouts in Bitcoin, removing the need for intermediaries.
- Crypto-Economic IP Security — using Bitcoin as collateral to automatically enforce licensing agreements. If a licensee defaults, smart contracts can liquidate Bitcoin collateral to compensate creators, turning legal disputes into instant settlements.
“By integrating Lombard’s Bitcoin infrastructure, Story enables creators and developers to license, settle, and secure IP value instantly and globally,” said Story CEO and co-founder SY Lee. “With Lombard, that value can now flow as Bitcoin — the most trusted and durable digital asset.”
Bitcoin Meets Programmable IP
Story Protocol transforms creative assets such as music, characters, or scripts into tokenized “on-chain primitives” with embedded licensing logic. This allows rights holders to manage, remix, and monetize IP without lawyers or intermediaries.
Major Korean studios have already joined Story, including Solo Leveling and Barunson Studio, the Oscar-winning producer behind Parasite.
Strategic Launch in South Korea
The partnership will debut in South Korea’s $13.6 billion creative market, where both companies have strong traction. Lombard’s BARD token is among the top-traded BitcoinFi assets on Korean exchanges Upbit and Bithumb, and its alliance with KODA provides a compliant institutional bridge.
Lombard has already onboarded over $3 billion in idle Bitcoin, reaching $1 billion in total value locked (TVL) within just 92 days. Its flagship LBTC asset is now integrated across 14 chains and 75 DeFi protocols, with over 80% of supply actively deployed.
By linking Story’s programmable IP ecosystem with Lombard’s deep Bitcoin liquidity, the collaboration aims to redefine how digital rights are financed, protected, and monetized — setting the stage for a new era of Bitcoin-backed creative economies.
, to create...){kind=link}