On February 5, 2025, Ankr — through its enterprise arm Asphere — officially launched Bitcoin Secured Infrastructure, a comprehensive service allowing developers to build and secure custom Layer 1 and Layer 2 blockchains using Bitcoin’s proof-of-work security. Built on top of the Babylon Bitcoin staking protocol, BSI represents an ambitious attempt to unlock Bitcoin’s trillion-dollar market capitalization as a security resource for the broader blockchain ecosystem, including decentralized physical infrastructure networks that power the AI revolution. With BTC trading at approximately $96,615, the total value potentially available for securing new networks is staggering.
The Agentic Protocol
BSI integrates with Babylon, a Cosmos-based blockchain that allows Bitcoin holders to stake their BTC to secure proof-of-stake networks without wrapping, bridging, or transferring their coins. The mechanism relies on two core technical components: BTC staking, where holders lock their Bitcoin in self-custodial contracts to earn rewards while providing security to PoS chains, and Bitcoin timestamping, which anchors critical blockchain data to the Bitcoin network for enhanced security guarantees.
For developers, BSI provides customizable templates tailored to specific protocols and use cases. Supported networks include Bitcoin-native builds, Babylon-secured chains (called Bitcoin Secured Networks or BSNs), Stacks for Bitcoin Layer 2 applications, Botanix’s Spiderchain L2, and B2 Network for cheaper and faster transactions. The platform also integrates support for emerging protocols as they develop.
Neural Network Integration
The most compelling application of BSI lies in its potential to secure decentralized physical infrastructure networks — the backbone of decentralized AI compute. DePIN projects require reliable, trustless infrastructure to distribute GPU compute, storage, and networking resources across global node networks. Ankr already operates a DePIN of bare metal nodes in over 30 regions, serving more than 400 billion RPC requests monthly with 99.99% uptime and an average response time of 56ms.
By combining this existing infrastructure with Bitcoin-secured staking, BSI creates a model where DePIN networks can bootstrap security from the most battle-tested blockchain in existence. Node operators gain exposure to Bitcoin for delegation and rewards, while developers building AI applications get access to infrastructure backed by over $1 trillion in staked BTC security — a proposition that centralized cloud providers cannot match.
Token Utility
The BSI ecosystem creates value flows for multiple participant types. Bitcoin holders can stake their previously idle BTC to earn yields while securing PoS networks, adding economic utility to holdings that previously sat dormant in cold storage. Developers benefit from bootstrapped network security without needing to issue and distribute native staking tokens — a significant reduction in launch complexity and regulatory risk.
End users interact with applications built on BSI-secured infrastructure, benefiting from the enhanced security guarantees without needing to understand the underlying staking mechanics. The trust-minimized model means that even if a BSI-secured chain experiences issues, the Bitcoin stakers’ funds remain protected by the self-custodial staking design.
Potential Bottlenecks
Despite its ambitious scope, BSI faces significant challenges. The Babylon staking protocol is relatively new, and its ability to handle the complexity of securing dozens of heterogeneous networks simultaneously remains unproven at scale. Bitcoin’s script limitations mean that staking mechanisms must operate within constrained programmability, potentially limiting the sophistication of slashing conditions and security guarantees.
Cross-chain communication between Bitcoin and Cosmos-based Babylon relies on cryptographic proofs that, while theoretically sound, add latency and complexity to the security model. If these proofs fail to propagate correctly, secured networks could experience temporary reductions in their security guarantees — a risk that DePIN applications running AI workloads cannot easily tolerate.
Furthermore, the competition for Bitcoin staking yield is intensifying. Multiple protocols now offer BTC staking derivatives and yield products, and the total supply of BTC available for staking across all platforms is finite. BSI must compete not only on security guarantees but on yield attractiveness to attract sufficient stake to secure the networks it hosts.
Final Verdict
Ankr’s Bitcoin Secured Infrastructure represents one of the most technically ambitious attempts to bridge Bitcoin’s unparalleled security with the growing demand for decentralized compute infrastructure. The integration with Babylon’s staking protocol is elegant in theory, and Ankr’s existing DePIN footprint of nodes in 30+ regions provides a practical foundation. However, the platform’s success depends on factors beyond technical merit — adoption by developers building real applications, the ability of Babylon to scale its staking mechanism, and competition from both traditional cloud providers and alternative Bitcoin staking solutions. For projects building DePIN or AI compute networks that need institutional-grade security, BSI warrants serious evaluation — but teams should conduct thorough due diligence on the maturity of the underlying staking infrastructure before committing to production deployments.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Always conduct your own research before making investment decisions.
using btc pow security for pos chains through babylon is actually clever. no wrapping, no bridges
the no-bridge part is key. every bridge that ever existed got exploited eventually
hash_brown_ every bridge gets exploited eventually is exactly right. the self-custodial staking model is the only reason im reading this seriously
btc_anchor_ babylon timestamping is solid but the BSI wrapper adds complexity nobody asked for. just stake through babylon directly
babylon doing btc timestamping without bridges is the real innovation here. most btc derivatives require trusting a multisig or a wrapped token
dejan is asking the right question about slashing conditions. if you stake BTC through babylon to secure a chain and that chain gets attacked, what exactly happens to your staked sats. the economics here are still very unclear
Zoran M. exactly. if a PoS chain secured by BTC gets attacked and your sats get slashed, you are paying for someone elses consensus failure. the slashing economics are completely undefined
Zoran M. exactly the question. if a PoS chain secured by BTC gets attacked and your sats get slashed, youre basically paying for someone elses consensus failure. the economics need to be bulletproof
btc_anchor_ framing it as unlocking a trillion dollar security resource is optimistic. bitcoin’s hash rate secures bitcoin. restaking that security onto arbitrary chains introduces risks the original network was never designed to handle
proof_of_work_traditionalist you nailed it. bitcoin hash rate exists to secure bitcoin. repurposing it for random L1s introduces slashing risk the base chain was never designed to absorb
depin secured by btc. the ai crowd is gonna love this whether it works or not
works on paper, sure. lets see what happens when actual economic incentives collide with it
btc holders are never going to stake to secure random l1 chains. the risk reward makes zero sense for them
staked_or_fake the risk reward makes zero sense for BTC holders right now. maybe if babylon publishes concrete slashing parameters it changes the calculus
staked_or_fake the risk reward makes zero sense until Babylon publishes actual slashing parameters. right now BTC holders are supposed to stake with zero clarity on what happens during a slashing event
btc at 96k staking to secure random PoS chains through babylon. if slashing hits and sats get locked the bitcoin crowd will riot
depin and ai buzzwords on top of btc staking. investors will eat this up regardless of whether the tech actually ships
gpu_orphan_ DePIN plus AI plus BTC staking. three buzzwords stacked on each other. investors will fund anything with those keywords in 2025
Ankr pivoting from node infrastructure to BTC secured chains via Babylon is their 4th or 5th narrative pivot. the tech might work but the company track record of chasing whatever is hot is a red flag
btc_relayer_ agreed. Ankr went from DeFi to RPC to liquid staking and now BTC security. each pivot timed perfectly with whatever narrative was pumping. Babylon itself is solid though
BSI for DePIN networks is a stretch. BTC miners dont care about securing random L1s for AI workloads
Ankr pivoting from RPC provider to BTC restaking to DePIN is quite the journey. each rebrand raises more money but the core products keep changing
ankr has pivoted from RPC to liquid staking to BSI to DePIN. at some point you have to ship one thing that actually sticks
ankr’s been around since 2017 and they keep pivoting. BSI through babylon is their most ambitious bet yet but i’d want to see actual TVL numbers before getting excited
BTC timestamping without bridges is the only part of this thesis that actually works. the BSI wrapper on top is where the complexity and attack surface lives