Maple Finance, BitGo, Copper and Hex Trust launch lstBTC on Core to unlock institutional bitcoin earnings

The Core Foundation has teamed up with Maple Finance , BitGo , Copper and Hex Trust to announce the launch of lstBTC. lstBTC will become a new type of liquid, profitable Bitcoin token on the Core blockchain, designed for institutions to generate profits for idle Bitcoin. By converting Bitcoin into productive assets, lstBTC provides holders with a way to convert billions of dollars into profits while maintaining security, compliance and liquidity. lstBTC is designed to improve capital efficiency while maintaining security, compliance and liquidity, allowing institutions to reap sustainable benefits from idle Bitcoin holdings without changing existing custody arrangements.

Unlock Bitcoin collateral with earnings

lstBTC will change the tradeoffs faced by institutional Bitcoin holders: using BTC as a safe means of storing value, or sacrificing security or liquidity to earn profits. lstBTC allows institutions to obtain the proceeds paid in Bitcoin without transferring BTC from trusted custodians.

There are currently over $500 billion in Bitcoin incurring fees in custodial accounts, and lstBTC unlocks huge saving potential. It enables institutions to earn sustainable returns from Bitcoin holdings while maintaining principal security, liquidity and capital efficiency. Maple Finance, with its expertise in institutional credit markets and risk management, is responsible for developing revenue generation strategies that meet regulatory and risk standards, helping lstBTC holders simplify the revenue acquisition process without transferring BTC out of custody. By integrating lstBTC into its wider institutional infrastructure, Maple Finance helps organizations maximize capital efficiency without sacrificing security.

Sidney Powell, CEO and co-founder of Maple Finance, said: “The lack of Bitcoin earnings options has always been a clear gap in the market. Maple is honored to partner with CORE to launch lstBTC, enabling institutions to enable without having to give up trusted custodians. With security, gain from its BTC.”

How lstBTC works

Institutions can mint lstBTC by depositing Bitcoin into trusted custodians such as BitGo, Copper, or Hex Trust.

• lstBTC generates profits while maintaining full liquidity – institutions can trade, transfer or use lstBTC as collateral.

• When redeemed, the holder will receive their original Bitcoins along with proportional earnings, deposited directly into their escrow account.

lstBTC utilizes the Core blockchain's dual staking mechanism to enable Bitcoin to earn CORE rewards while protecting network security. As a trusted investment manager, Maple Finance uses clear strategies and institutional-level risk management to optimize returns transparently, while custodians ensure compliance and asset security.

This approach ensures capital efficiency, security and scalability, providing an organization with a seamless way to earn from its Bitcoin holdings without interfering with existing workflows.

What is unique about lstBTC

Unlike other Bitcoin earnings solutions, lstBTC is designed for institutions without asset transfer or taking unnecessary risks.

• No need to change the custody arrangements – institutions can continue to store Bitcoin in existing custody institutions.

• Real BTC earnings – Get BTC-denominated through Core’s dual staking mechanism without transferring Bitcoin from the custodian.

• Fully liquid and scalable – lstBTC can be traded, transferred or used as collateral while the underlying Bitcoin is still generating revenue.

• Created for institutional use cases – seamlessly integrated into existing and new portfolio strategies to improve returns.

Hong Sun, an institutional contributor to Core DAO, said: “This collaboration is a breakthrough for institutional Bitcoin holders. lstBTC has finally allowed institutions to earn from their Bitcoin while maintaining their existing custody and security frameworks. lstBTC sets new standards for institutional Bitcoin solutions by combining the dual staking mechanism of Core blockchain, the risk management strategy of Maple Finance, and the trusted custody infrastructure of BitGo, Copper and Hex Trust. lstBTC sets new standards for institutional Bitcoin solutions.”

Newly defined Bitcoin for institutional investors

lstBTC enables institutional clients—including portfolio managers, ETP issuers, qualified investors and market makers—to maximize Bitcoin productivity without sacrificing security or operational efficiency. With the support of the most trusted brands in the fields of asset management, digital asset custody, liquidity and risk management, lstBTC sets new standards for institutional Bitcoin earnings.

To learn more about lstBTC and how it can help institutional Bitcoin holders generate revenue safely, visit lstbtc.coredao.org or contact inquire@coredao.org .

About Core

Core is Bitcoin’s first Proof of Stake (PoS) layer and the largest Bitcoin DeFi ecosystem, combining Bitcoin’s unrivalled security with the scalability of the Satoshi Plus consensus. Core's dual staking mechanism enables Bitcoin holders to obtain secure and sustainable returns by pledging BTC and CORE simultaneously while retaining control of their assets completely.

Currently, more than 5,500 BTC and 165 million COREs are pledged on the Core blockchain , enhancing the practicality and security of Bitcoin. Core is the EVM blockchain that is most consistent with Bitcoin, and about 80% of Bitcoin mining computing power contributes to the security of the network. This breakthrough has attracted millions of Core adopters – more than 40 million separate addresses, 350 million transactions and over $850 million in total locked value (TVL) since the mainnet went live in January 2023.

For more information, visit coredao.org.

About Maple Finance

Launched in 2021, Maple Finance is DeFi’s institutional lending platform that provides a transparent and verifiable on-chain institutional lending market. As a leader in decentralized finance, Maple is building a global lending ecosystem focused on innovation and accessibility. At the heart of the ecosystem is the SYRUP token launched in 2024, which empowers the Maple community through staking, governance and sharing protocol growth. Maple is jointly promoting the development of the next-generation institutional credit market for DeFi.

For more information, please visit www.maple.finance.

About BitGo

BitGo is a leading infrastructure provider of digital asset solutions, providing custody, wallet, staking, transaction, financing and settlement services from regulated cold storage. Since its inception in 2013, we have been focusing on helping our customers enter the digital asset space safely. Through multiple regulated entities, BitGo has a wide range of operations worldwide, serving thousands of institutions, including many of the industry’s top brands, exchanges and platforms, as well as millions of retail investors around the world. As the operational pillar of the digital economy, BitGo handles a large part of Bitcoin network transactions and is the world's largest independent digital asset custody and staking service provider.

For more information, please visit www.bitgo.com.

About Copper

Since its inception in 2018, Copper has been committed to building standards for institutional digital asset infrastructure, focusing on custody and collateral management. With award-winning technology, Copper builds a comprehensive and secure suite of products and services for securely hosting and trading digital assets. At the heart of Copper infrastructure is ClearLoop, which enables customers to manage collateral and settle transactions on multiple exchanges while reducing counterparty risk and increasing capital efficiency.

For more information, visit www.copper.co.

About Hex Trust

Founded in 2018, Hex Trust provides regulated institutional digital asset custody, staking and market services to builders, investors and service providers. Access our comprehensive, secure and regulated suite of services with our proprietary and fully integrated infrastructure.

For more information, visit www.hextrust.com.