Kevin He, a seasoned blockchain architect with experience launching multiple L1s/L2s (including Huobi Eco Chain), joins the show to discuss Bitlayer. We explore his journey into crypto, the genesis of Bitlayer, and take a deep dive into BitVM technology - what it is, how it works, its current development status (BitVM 2, Alliance progress, auditing), and how Bitlayer is leveraging it to build trust-minimized Bitcoin L2 solutions, focusing on DeFi. Kevin shares insights on the Bitcoin opcode debate, the future of Bitcoin scaling, and reveals Bitlayer's upcoming BitVM bridge mainnet launch.

What we talk about: 00:56 Kevin's Background: Building L1s/L2s & Early Lessons 10:36 The Genesis of Bitlayer & Addressing Bitcoin L2 Needs 18:00 Discovering BitVM: A Breakthrough for Bitcoin L2 Security 26:45 BitVM Explained: Verification, Not Just Computation 34:37 BitVM Development: V1 vs V2, ZK Challenges & Bridge Focus 41:30 Inside the BitVM Alliance: Technical Progress & On-Chain Impact 48:00 Alpha Leak: BitVM Auditing & Mainnet Progress 54:30 The Bitcoin Opcode Debate: Necessity and Impact on BitVM 01:04:00 Long-Term Bitcoin Sustainability: Fees vs Subsidy & Upgrades 01:08:00 Bitlayer's BitVM Bridge Mainnet Launch & Partnerships

Follow Bitlayer on Twitter: @BitlayerLabs

Learn more about Bitlayer: [https://www.bitlayer.org/](https://www.bitlayer.org/)

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Follow me on Twitter: @JakeBlockchain

Stay updated on everything Built on Bitcoin podcast: [https://www.builtonbitcoin.xyz/](https://www.builtonbitcoin.xyz/)

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Website: [https://www.btcfrontier.fund/](https://www.btcfrontier.fund/)

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Love yall! See you in the next episode. Peace!

Is Lightning on its way out or primed for massive adoption? This is a question underlying so much of the discussion around Lightning on the timeline. So I sat down with Graham to discuss the state of Lightning in 2025. Recently they published a report in partnership with Fidelity Digital Assets and presented some great stats on the health of the network. This episode will make you bullish on Lightning. Check out this conversation with Graham Krizek - CEO & Founder of Voltage Cloud. Follow Graham on Twitter: https://x.com/gkrizek?lang=en Learn more about Voltage: https://www.voltage.cloud/

In this conversation, we sit down with Harsha Goli and delve into the complexities of Bitcoin compliance, exploring the challenges faced by startups in navigating regulatory landscapes. Harsha shares his extensive background in the Bitcoin space, highlighting the importance of compliance and the impact of regulations on innovation. We discuss the current state of regulatory uncertainty, the implications of KYC and AML requirements, and the evolving role of custodial and non-custodial solutions. The conversation also touches on the tax implications of cryptocurrency transactions and the future of stablecoins in the regulatory framework.

Follow Harsha on Twitter: @_arshbot

Learn more about Magnolia on their website: https://magnolia.financial/