Citrea Launches Mainnet, Bringing On-Chain Trading and Lending Directly to Bitcoin
Citrea has launched its mainnet, introducing a Bitcoin-native application layer designed to support on-chain trading, lending, and settlement directly on the Bitcoin network.
The Bitcoin ZK-rollup went live on Jan. 27, marking a step toward expanding Bitcoin’s role beyond long-term holding and into active, on-chain financial use.
A Bitcoin-native application layer
Citrea positions itself as an application layer built specifically for Bitcoin capital markets, aiming to keep liquidity anchored to Bitcoin while enabling programmable applications secured by the network itself.
At launch, Citrea introduced cBTC, a Bitcoin-backed asset intended for use across decentralized applications, along with ctUSD, a native stablecoin designed to support on-chain liquidity and settlement.
According to Citrea, cBTC leverages zero-knowledge proofs and BitVM-based verification to minimize reliance on custodians or multisignature trust models. Fraudulent activity can be challenged directly on the Bitcoin mainnet, provided at least one honest participant is present—a design the team says improves security compared to earlier Bitcoin bridge architectures.
More than 30 Bitcoin-secured applications at launch
Citrea’s mainnet debuts with over 30 Bitcoin-secured applications, including decentralized exchanges, liquidity tools, and early-stage lending and privacy-focused services. The project expects additional applications and structured yield products to roll out in the coming weeks.
To support trading and settlement, Citrea has launched ctUSD, a Bitcoin-native stablecoin issued by MoonPay and built on M0’s open stablecoin infrastructure. The stablecoin is available in the United States (excluding New York) and more than 160 other countries, and is designed with institutional compliance in mind.
Ecosystem tools and next steps
Citrea has also introduced a user dashboard that allows participants to manage assets, track activity, and explore applications across the ecosystem. From day one, user actions on live applications are recorded, with expanded dashboard functionality planned as the ecosystem grows.
Looking ahead, Citrea says its focus is on increasing Bitcoin-denominated financial activity while strengthening incentives for miners through higher network usage. The team describes the mainnet launch as an early step toward positioning Bitcoin as an active financial platform—not just a long-term store of value.
