Exclusive: Rootstock’s Innovations and Bitcoin’s DeFi Evolution, Insights from CEO Daniel Fogg

cryptonews.com:

At Consensus 2024, Rachel from Cryptonews had an engaging conversation with Daniel Fogg, the CEO of Rootstock Labs, shedding light on Rootstock’s innovative contributions to the Bitcoin ecosystem and the broader implications for the future of decentralized finance (DeFi) on Bitcoin.

Rootstock Labs developed the first Bitcoin sidechain and Layer 2 solution, a concept initially proposed by Satoshi Nakamoto. This innovation leverages Bitcoin’s hashing power for network security and introduces a two-way peg between Bitcoin and the Rootstock network.

With over five years in the crypto industry and nearly two decades in emerging technologies, Fogg has been instrumental in shaping Rootstock’s vision.

“We see Rootstock as the most secure, permissionless, and censorship-resistant smart contract platform because it’s anchored to Bitcoin.”

As of May 2024, Bitcoin’s market capitalization was approximately $600 billion, maintaining its position as the leading cryptocurrency by market value. Despite its market dominance, only about 2% of Bitcoin is actively used in transactions. The vast majority remains in long-term storage or on centralized exchanges, making Bitcoin Layer 2s the way for more regular use of Bitcoin.

Fogg explained how Rootstock differentiates itself from other Bitcoin Layer 2 solutions. Unlike Ethereum’s Layer 2s, which focus on scaling while maintaining full smart contract capabilities, Bitcoin Layer 2s encompass a broader range of scaling solutions.

Rootstock is specifically designed as a Bitcoin sidechain. It aims to enhance scalability, reduce costs, and increase transaction speeds while maintaining a cryptographic link to Bitcoin. This makes Rootstock a unique player in the Bitcoin Layer 2 space, offering