Protocol Upgrades and Website Refresh Position tBTC as Trusted Tokenized Bitcoin
Threshold Network has implemented significant protocol upgrades and launched a refreshed website to solidify tBTC's standing in Bitcoin on-chain markets. These enhancements are designed to strengthen tBTC's role as a reliable tokenized Bitcoin, facilitating the transfer of Bitcoin's on-chain capital into decentralized financial markets.
Recent analyses indicate a substantial concentration of wealth within Bitcoin holdings. Approximately 1 million addresses hold over $100,000, with 157,000 holding more than $1 million, and 19,142 addresses possessing over $10 million in Bitcoin. Collectively, these addresses represent an estimated $500 billion in value, a figure that has seen accelerated growth since the U.S. spot ETF approvals in 2024. While individuals control about 65.9% of the total Bitcoin supply, the majority of these holders are affluent investors rather than small retail participants.
Since the approval of U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, institutional participation has surged. Institutional holdings reached $414 billion in August 2025, driven by ETF inflows and corporate treasury strategies. Corporate reserves increased by 40% in Q3 to $117 billion, with 172 listed companies now holding Bitcoin, collectively owning over 1 million BTC. MicroStrategy continues to be the largest corporate holder with 640,000 BTC. As of October 2025, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs manage $169.48 billion in assets, representing 6.79% of Bitcoin's market capitalization. Threshold views this market shift as a strategic opportunity to facilitate institutional positioning within DeFi.
Renewed Focus: Institutional Access with Bitcoin's Integrity
The redesigned Threshold Network website features a clean, minimalist layout engineered for clarity and ease of access. This redesign signifies Threshold's evolution from a singular protocol to a comprehensive ecosystem that empowers Bitcoin to navigate financial markets freely.
The accompanying tBTC app has been upgraded to simplify the Bitcoin-to-DeFi user experience. Users can now mint tBTC directly to supported chains with a single Bitcoin transaction, eliminating the need for secondary approvals or superfluous steps. Redemptions back to the Bitcoin mainnet are equally streamlined, mirroring Bitcoin's inherent simplicity while upholding full decentralization.
The upgrade introduces several new features designed to enhance user interaction and utility:
- •Use tBTC: A new dedicated section designed to assist users in discovering opportunities to deploy tBTC or leverage their Bitcoin. It offers a comprehensive overview of tBTC integrations across a variety of DeFi protocols.
- •Vaults: A new dashboard that consolidates integrated tBTC vault strategies into a singular interface. This allows users to access curated, externally managed vault strategies developed for user-friendliness.
- •My Activity: This section provides a unified record of all user actions, encompassing minting, redemption, and vault participation. Each transaction is logged on-chain, enabling users to easily track their history and monitor performance over time.
The New tBTC App: Simplicity and Precision for Large-Scale Adoption
The new tBTC app features a simplified interface prioritizing efficiency, transparency, and security. It enables users to move seamlessly between Bitcoin and DeFi markets while maintaining complete self-custody of their assets.
Streamlined Minting and Redemption
Users can now transition effortlessly between Bitcoin and a range of supported networks, including Ethereum, Layer 2 solutions, and non-EVM chains, through a single, integrated process.
This new functionality addresses the traditional friction involved in bringing Bitcoin into DeFi. Users can now mint and redeem tBTC quickly, securely, and without incurring unnecessary costs or requiring multiple approvals.
- •Direct minting to supported chains facilitates efficient capital flow into DeFi markets, empowering institutions to deploy Bitcoin liquidity across diverse ecosystems without reliance on centralized intermediaries.
- •Direct redemption to Bitcoin mainnet assures users of their ability to always return to native Bitcoin, thereby maintaining trust and liquidity across all use cases.
- •No Layer 2 signing required simplifies complex transactions, allowing them to be completed with a single Bitcoin transfer. This reduces operational overhead for institutional treasuries and streamlines onboarding for individual users.
Collectively, these upgrades position tBTC as the most efficient and permissionless gateway for Bitcoin within DeFi markets.
Gasless Minting on Supported Networks
Gasless minting is now available on supported networks. Users are only required to deposit Bitcoin; no wallet signatures or additional gas fees are necessary. Users simply connect their wallet, send Bitcoin to a single-use address, and receive tBTC on their chosen chain. This feature enables efficient utilization of Bitcoin capital without compromising custody or incurring extra costs.
"This is a major protocol upgrade that represents Threshold’s maturity as a network," stated Callan Sarre, Co-Founder and CPO of Threshold Labs.
"We’ve rebuilt the app to give users a unified experience. Mint, redeem, and deploy Bitcoin faster, with confidence and transparency. The new interface delivers what users, both institutional and individual, have consistently asked for: clarity and control without compromise."
Building the Future of Bitcoin
Threshold Network, a cross-chain Bitcoin infrastructure protocol enabling secure movement of BTC across multiple blockchains, has upgraded its app to support direct minting to supported networks with zero gas fees. This upgrade allows Bitcoin holders to access yield strategies, lending markets, and liquidity provision without the prerequisite of routing transactions through Ethereum Layer 1.
This release empowers users to mint tBTC directly from the Bitcoin network into supported on-chain ecosystems, eliminating the need for L1 bridging and significantly simplifying user onboarding.
"The scale of institutional adoption since ETF approvals has been extraordinary," commented MacLane Wilkison, Co-Founder and CEO of Threshold Labs.
"Our focus is on building the infrastructure that allows institutions, funds, and corporates to interact with Bitcoin on-chain securely. As traditional finance integrates Bitcoin into its portfolios, tBTC stands as the bridge that ensures this participation remains decentralized and transparent."
With tBTC available across major ecosystems, including Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, Polygon, Sui, Starknet, BOB, and Optimism, Threshold continues to expand its integrations to enhance liquidity and, in the near future, facilitate access to institutional capital.
Users are encouraged to explore the new app and website at https://threshold.network.
About Threshold Network
Threshold Network is the decentralized protocol powering tBTC, a permissionless 1:1 Bitcoin-backed asset secured by a 51-of-100 threshold signer model. tBTC facilitates the movement of native BTC across chains such as Ethereum, Base, Sui, Arbitrum, and Starknet without requiring custodians or compromising security. With over five years of proven security and approximately $4.8 billion in bridge volume, Threshold offers the most battle-tested, trust-minimized Bitcoin infrastructure on-chain.