Edgechains transform Bitcoin into Web3’s foundation by merging PoW security with scalable zkRollups, smart contracts, and modular architecture.
Date: 21 May 2025
Bitcoin’s next evolution has begun. With Edgechains, it’s not just a digital gold reserve — it’s becoming the secure backbone of Web3.
Despite its unmatched security through Proof-of-Work (PoW), Bitcoin has long lacked the scalability and smart contract utility that decentralized apps (DApps) require. Ethereum offered flexibility, but not the same trustless resilience. Now, Edgechains — Syscoin’s modular execution layers — promise to deliver both.
Edgechains merge Bitcoin’s PoW security with high-speed, low-cost smart contract execution.
Unlike traditional sidechains or Layer-2s, Edgechains introduce merge-mined security, modular scalability, and trustless zkRollup integration, building an entirely new Web3 standard: Bitcoin+.
🔹 What Makes Edgechains Unique?
- Merge-Mined Security: Miners validate both Bitcoin and Syscoin without added energy costs.
- Zero-Knowledge Rollups: Near-instant transaction finality via zkRollups with no fraud windows.
- Modular Architecture: UTXO and EVM hybrid model enables trustless smart contract execution.
The first Edgechain — zkSYS — is now live on testnet, showcasing high-throughput and ultra-low fees powered by Syscoin’s unique Proof-of-Data Availability (PoDA) layer.
🔹 Scaling Without Sacrifice
Edgechains are designed to overcome the common pitfalls of most Layer-2 solutions:
- Data availability gaps
- Fraud vulnerability
- Operator centralization
By embedding BitcoinDA and zkDA, Edgechains ensure rollups inherit Bitcoin’s full security — while supporting massive scalability and decentralized governance through AI-powered Sentry Nodes.
🔹 Web3 on Bitcoin: The Vision of Bitcoin+
Edgechains underpin Bitcoin+, a modular, scalable EVM-compatible ecosystem where DApps can finally thrive without leaving the Bitcoin security umbrella.
“Edgechains bridge the speed of Ethereum with the trust of Bitcoin,” said a Syscoin spokesperson. “They’re the foundation for scalable, trust-minimized Web3.”
🔹 Key Highlights
- Bitcoin+ architecture combines PoW, zkRollups, and modular design
- zkSYS testnet enables near-instant smart contract finality
- BitcoinDA and zkDA redefine data availability for Web3
- UTXO + EVM hybrid enables both precision and programmability
- Merge-mined Edgechains reduce reliance on centralized operators
