Chainflip v2.1: Expanding Bitcoin and Stablecoin Liquidity

Chainflip’s v2.1 upgrade is scheduled to go live this week. This release expands the network’s liquidity layer with new assets while introducing infrastructure updates that prepare the protocol for its next integrations.

The highlights:

• wBTC support

• USDT on Solana

• USDT on Arbitrum

Alongside these additions, the upgrade introduces several internal improvements that move the protocol closer to supporting new ecosystems such as TRON DAO and BNB Chain.

For users, this means more routes and deeper liquidity.

For integrators, it means more assets available through a single cross-chain infrastructure layer.

For validators and node operators looking for the full technical breakdown of the upgrade, including runtime changes and operational details, see the full release notes here: Full upgrade documentation.

wBTC: Expanding Bitcoin Liquidity Access

The introduction of Wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC) adds one of the most widely used Bitcoin assets in DeFi to the Chainflip ecosystem.

wBTC represents billions of dollars in Bitcoin liquidity across smart-contract platforms and remains one of the dominant BTC assets on Ethereum and its surrounding ecosystem.

Supporting wBTC unlocks several advantages:

More Bitcoin liquidity

Aggregators and wallets gain access to a broader pool of Bitcoin liquidity when routing swaps.

Better routing flexibility

Different ecosystems often prefer different Bitcoin assets. Supporting both native BTC and wBTC allows for more efficient swap paths.

Improved aggregator integration

Protocols such as routing aggregators can use wBTC as an additional settlement asset when building cross-chain routes.

In practice, this means better pricing opportunities and more flexibility for applications integrating Chainflip.

USDT on Solana and Arbitrum

Stablecoins remain the backbone of most cross-chain trading activity.

With v2.1, Chainflip adds support for Tether (USDT) on two major ecosystems:

• Solana

• Arbitrum

USDT is consistently one of the highest-volume assets across the crypto market.

Expanding USDT support improves routing opportunities across these networks and allows integrators to access additional stablecoin liquidity through Chainflip.

This leads to:

• improved swap execution across stablecoin pairs

• deeper liquidity across ecosystems

• stronger routing opportunities for aggregators

Stablecoin flows often represent some of the largest and most consistent cross-chain swap activity, making this expansion particularly important for routing infrastructure.

Why wBTC Matters for Aggregators

For aggregators and wallet integrations, asset coverage directly impacts routing efficiency.

Different ecosystems often hold Bitcoin liquidity in different forms:

• Native BTC

• wBTC on Ethereum

• various wrapped representations across chains

By supporting wBTC, Chainflip gives integrators another way to access Bitcoin liquidity without requiring additional infrastructure.

This helps aggregators:

• build more competitive swap routes

• access additional liquidity pools

• improve execution for larger swaps

As more routing infrastructure integrates Chainflip, broader asset support becomes increasingly important.

Preparing for TRON and BNB Chain

Beyond the new assets, the v2.1 upgrade includes internal improvements designed to support future ecosystem integrations.

In particular, the upgrade introduces infrastructure that helps prepare the network for upcoming support of:

• TRON DAO

• BNB Chain

These ecosystems represent some of the largest stablecoin and trading markets in crypto.

Preparing the network infrastructure ahead of these integrations allows future deployments to happen more smoothly as the protocol expands its cross-chain coverage.

Upgrade Timeline

The upgrade will be executed through a coordinated validator update.

Projected Timeline (CET):

10:00: Preparation

• Authority rotation excludes nodes that have not upgraded
• Quoting disabled
• Maintenance mode activated

11:00: Runtime Upgrade

• The protocol runtime is upgraded to v2.1.

11:00–13:00: Post-Upgrade Checks

• New assets initialised
• Liquidity pools created
• External contracts deployed
• Network state validated
• Validators upgrade chainflip-cli

13:00: Reactivation

• Quoting re-enabled
• Maintenance mode lifted

A Step Toward Broader Cross-Chain Liquidity

Each Chainflip upgrade expands the protocol’s ability to connect major ecosystems.

With v2.1, the network adds:

• new Bitcoin liquidity via wBTC

• expanded stablecoin routing via USDT

• infrastructure readiness for TRON and BNB Chain

More assets mean more routes.

More routes mean deeper liquidity.

And deeper liquidity means better execution for users and integrators building cross-chain applications.

Resources

• Swap Now - Start swapping native assets
• Lend BTC - Borrow against native Bitcoin
• Blog - Product updates and announcements
• Chainflip Scan - Track swaps and network activity
• Website - Explore Chainflip

Other Chainflip Products:

• Boost - Earn fees by providing single-sided liquidity with no IL risk
• Stablecoin Strategies - Deposit stablecoins and earn optimized yields
• Provide Liquidity - Supply assets to Chainflip's liquidity pools
• Stake FLIP - Delegate FLIP and earn staking rewards

Find us:

• Discord - Join the Chainflip community
• Telegram - Get the latest Chainflip updates
• X - Follow Chainflip on X
• LinkedIn - Chainflip on LinkedIn
• YouTube - Chainflip tutorials and explainers
• Threads - Follow Chainflip on Threads
• Bluesky - Follow Chainflip on Bluesky

FAQ

What is Chainflip v2.1?
v2.1 is a protocol upgrade that adds wBTC, USDT on Solana, and USDT on Arbitrum to the Chainflip network, alongside infrastructure improvements that prepare the protocol for future integrations including TRON DAO and BNB Chain.

What new assets are supported after v2.1?
The upgrade adds three new assets: Wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC), USDT on Solana, and USDT on Arbitrum.

How is wBTC different from native BTC on Chainflip?
Native BTC is Bitcoin settled directly on the Bitcoin network. wBTC is an ERC-20 token on Ethereum pegged 1:1 to Bitcoin. Supporting both gives integrators and aggregators more routing options depending on which form of Bitcoin liquidity is available in a given ecosystem.

Why was USDT added on Solana and Arbitrum specifically?
Both networks carry significant stablecoin volume and are popular destinations for cross-chain swaps. Adding USDT on these chains deepens Chainflip's stablecoin liquidity and expands routing options for integrators serving users on those ecosystems.

Does this upgrade affect existing swaps or liquidity positions?
Existing swaps and liquidity positions are not affected. The upgrade adds new assets and pools without changing how existing routes function.

When will TRON DAO and BNB Chain be supported?
v2.1 introduces infrastructure groundwork for these integrations, but no launch date has been announced. Further details will be shared as those integrations move closer to deployment.

Where can I swap the new assets?
You can access wBTC, USDT on Solana, and USDT on Arbitrum through the Chainflip swap interface or any aggregator that has integrated Chainflip's liquidity.