Swell Launches swBTC on Symbiotic, EigenLayer and Karak

Swell has launched the first Bitcoin LRT to offer restaking rewards from the Ethereum ecosystem.

Swell Restaked BTC (swBTC) holders will earn restaking yield from Symbiotic , EigenLayer , and Karak — with the opportunity to further boost yield in DeFi. 

The innovation of swBTC is commended by leading custodian BitGo , and strategic infrastructure partner P2P.org will help bring swBTC to the institutional market. Vault strategy is powered by Aera and managed by expert Restaking Guardian Gauntlet , with deposits and withdrawals handled by the battle-tested Yearn V3 vault. Native swaps from BTC to swBTC will be enabled through THORChain. 

swBTC joins swETH and rswETH as another restaking primitive supporting Swell L2 – the upcoming restaking yield layer for Ethereum.

‍“We’re excited to see Swell’s continued innovation in this space, and help WBTC holders take advantage of a new opportunity to earn restaking rewards.” - Nuri Chang, VP of Product at BitGo ‍

swBTC rewards

Yield will be generated by utilizing the collateral asset (WBTC) as economic security for networks on restaking protocols such as Symbiotic, Karak, and EigenLayer. These networks compensate stakers for the economic security provided, which translates into yield for swBTC holders.‍

Restaking rewards are expected to start flowing from mid-September when the first underlying platforms enable yield.

Until then, you can deposit WBTC to get swBTC and earn 3x Black Pearls for the first two weeks (300 Pearls per BTC per day) in addition to Symbiotic Points.

You will also be able to deposit swBTC in the Swell L2 Pre-Launch to earn airdrops from the Swell ecosystem at a 1.5x multiplier, and can already juice your swBTC yield in pools on PancakeSwap and Curve.

How it works

1️. Deposit WBTC.

2. Get Swell BTC ($swBTC)

3️. When restaking rewards are enabled, your WBTC will be restaked to earn rewards in exchange for securing the best AVS’s and Networks from across Ethereum through restaking protocols including Symbiotic, EigenLayer and Karak. Until then you will earn 3x Black Pearls and Symbiotic Points.

4. Boost your $swBTC yield in DeFi or deposit it in Swell L2.

5️. Withdraw at any time (subject to a 10 day unstaking period).

Securing BTCFfi 

The growing number of Bitcoin L2s face challenges of centralization, security, scalability and interoperability.

Swell has partnered with leading Symbiotic Networks to help Bitcoin L2s overcome these challenges through services secured by swBTC.

That includes rollup infrastructure provider Radius , decentralized oracle provider Ojo , keeper network Ditto , interoperability framework Hyperlane , and Marlin , which provides scalable coprocessors for decentralized compute.

In addition, Swell L2, the restaking yield layer for Ethereum, will leverage assets restaked through Symbiotic including BTC to secure critical infrastructure services for the rollup.

FAQ

‍Which assets can I deposit?

Deposit WBTC on Ethereum.

Or swap BTC to swBTC natively via Thorchain (coming soon).

How are deposits distributed between the different restaking protocols?

Gauntlet will act as a Restaking Guardian, selecting strategies and markets to optimize vault performance.

‍Is swBTC audited?

The swBTC vault is based on Yearn v3, which has been thoroughly battle-tested since launching in 2022.

Swell's changes to the vault were audited by Nethermind and ChainSecurity .

Where can I use swBTC in DeFi?

Provide swBTC liquidity in pools on PancakeSwap and Curve (more DeFi opportunities coming soon). swBTC earns 100 Black Pearls per BTC/day. For the first two weeks, it will get 3x: 300 Black Pearls per BTC/day.

Deposit swBTC in the Swell L2 Pre-Launch to earn Swell L2 Ecosystem Points (representing multiple airdrops) at a 1.5x multiplier.

Are there any fees?

swBTC holders pay zero fees.

Fees will remain zero until real restaking rewards begin to flow.

Can I withdraw?

Withdrawals can be made at any time.

Withdrawing swBTC currently takes a total of 10 days: 3 days to withdraw from Swell, and 7 to withdraw from Symbiotic.

Where can I see Points earned with swBTC?

Points earned with swBTC will show on the app at a later date.

What is the minimum deposit?

There is no minimum deposit.

How are Symbiotic Points distributed between depositors?

Points are distributed to depositors pro rata based on the total number of Symbiotic points generated and the depositor's position size over time.

‍When and where will the points show?

The Points are being tracked and will show up retroactively at a later date.

Is swBTC reward-bearing? 

Yes, swBTC is a yield bearing ERC-20 Liquid Restaking Token that offers liquidity for users who want to stake their WBTC in protocols like Symbiotic, EigenLayer, or Karak without locking up their WBTC.

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