The Core Foundation, in partnership with Maple Finance , BitGo , Copper , and Hex Trust , announces the launch of lstBTC. lstBTC will be a new type of liquid, yield-bearing Bitcoin token on the Core blockchain, designed for institutions to generate income on idle Bitcoin. By transforming Bitcoin into a productive asset, lstBTC provides holders with a way to turn billions of dollars into income while maintaining security, compliance, and liquidity. lstBTC is designed to improve capital efficiency while maintaining security, compliance, and liquidity, enabling institutions to earn sustainable income from idle Bitcoin holdings without changing existing custody arrangements.

Unlock Bitcoin Collateral with Yield

lstBTC will change the trade-off faced by institutional Bitcoin holders: use BTC as a safe store of value, or sacrifice security or liquidity for yield. lstBTC allows institutions to receive yield paid in Bitcoin without moving BTC out of a trusted custodian.

With over $500 billion of Bitcoin currently incurring fees in custody accounts, lstBTC unlocks a huge potential for savings. It enables institutions to earn sustainable returns on their Bitcoin holdings while maintaining principal security, liquidity, and capital efficiency. With its expertise in institutional credit markets and risk management, Maple Finance is responsible for developing yield-generating strategies that meet regulatory and risk standards, helping lstBTC holders streamline the yield-collection process without having to move BTC out of custody. By integrating lstBTC into its broader institutional infrastructure, Maple Finance helps institutions maximize capital efficiency without sacrificing security.

“The lack of Bitcoin yield options has been a glaring gap in the market,” said Sidney Powell, CEO and co-founder of Maple Finance. “Maple is proud to partner with CORE to launch lstBTC, enabling institutions to earn yield on their BTC without giving up the security of a trusted custodian.”

How lstBTC works

Institutions can mint lstBTC by depositing Bitcoin with a trusted custodian such as BitGo, Copper, or Hex Trust.

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

  • When redeemed, holders will receive their original Bitcoin plus a pro-rated portion of the proceeds, deposited directly into their escrow account.

lstBTC uses the dual-staking mechanism of the Core blockchain to enable Bitcoin to earn CORE rewards while protecting network security. Maple Finance, as a trusted investment manager, uses clear strategies and institutional-level risk management to transparently optimize returns, while the custodian ensures compliance and asset security.

This approach ensures capital efficiency, security, and scalability, providing institutions with a seamless way to earn yield on their Bitcoin holdings without disrupting existing workflows.

What makes lstBTC unique

Unlike other Bitcoin yield solutions, lstBTC is designed specifically for institutions without the need to transfer assets or take unnecessary risks.

  • No changes to custody arrangements are required – institutions can continue to store Bitcoin with existing custodians.

  • Real BTC Yield - Earn BTC-denominated returns through Core’s dual-staking mechanism without having to transfer Bitcoin out of custodianship.

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

  • Built for institutional use cases – seamlessly integrates into existing and new portfolio strategies to enhance returns.

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

Bitcoin redefines institutional investors

lstBTC enables institutional clients - including portfolio managers, ETP issuers, accredited investors and market makers - to maximize the productivity of Bitcoin without sacrificing security or operational efficiency. Backed by the most trusted names in asset management, digital asset custody, liquidity and risk management, lstBTC sets a new standard for institutional Bitcoin returns.

To learn more about lstBTC and how it helps institutional Bitcoin holders generate yield securely, 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 unparalleled security with the scalability of Satoshi Plus consensus. Core's dual-staking mechanism enables Bitcoin holders to earn secure and sustainable returns by staking BTC and CORE simultaneously, while retaining full control of their assets.

There are currently over 5,500 BTC and 165 million CORE staked on the Core blockchain , enhancing the utility and security of Bitcoin. Core is the EVM blockchain most aligned with Bitcoin, with approximately 80% of Bitcoin mining power contributing to the security of the network. This breakthrough has attracted millions of Core adopters - with over 40 million unique addresses, 350 million transactions, and over $850 million in total locked value (TVL) since the mainnet launch in January 2023.

For more information, visit coredao.org.

About Maple Finance

Launched in 2021, Maple Finance is an institutional lending platform for DeFi, providing a transparent and verifiable on-chain institutional-grade lending market. As a leader in decentralized finance, Maple is building a global lending ecosystem focused on innovation and accessibility. At the core of this ecosystem is the SYRUP token, launched in 2024, which empowers the Maple community through staking, governance, and shared protocol growth. Together, Maple is driving the development of the next generation of institutional credit markets in DeFi.

For more information, visit www.maple.finance.

About BitGo

BitGo is a leading infrastructure provider of digital asset solutions, offering custody, wallet, staking, trading, financing and settlement services from regulated cold storage. Since our founding in 2013, we have been focused on helping clients securely enter the digital asset space. Through multiple regulated entities, BitGo has an extensive global presence, 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 an operational backbone of the digital economy, BitGo processes a large portion of Bitcoin network transactions and is the world's largest independent digital asset custody and staking service provider.

For more information, visit www.bitgo.com.

About Copper

Since its founding in 2018, Copper has been committed to building the standard for institutional digital asset infrastructure, focusing on custody and collateral management. With award-winning technology, Copper has built a comprehensive and secure set of products and services for secure custody and trading of digital assets. At the core of Copper's infrastructure is ClearLoop, which enables clients to manage collateral and settle trades across multiple exchanges while reducing counterparty risk and improving 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 marketplace services to builders, investors and service providers. Access our comprehensive, secure and regulated suite of services through our proprietary and fully integrated infrastructure.

For more information, visit www.hextrust.com.