Merlin Chain
AuditedVerifiedMerlin Chain is a Bitcoin Layer-2 that bridges native BTC and BRC-20 assets into an EVM-compatible ZK-rollup, anchored to Bitcoin via a custodial multi-sig vault called Merlin's Seal.
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The Problem
Bitcoin holds the deepest liquidity in crypto but has no native programmable environment; existing wrapped-BTC solutions on other chains carry custodial and bridge risk while offering no Bitcoin-native security guarantees.
The Solution
Merlin Chain provides an EVM-compatible ZK-Rollup L2 that locks native BTC and BRC-20 assets in Merlin's Seal and mints equivalents on the L2, allowing them to be used in DeFi and Ordinals applications while attesting state back to Bitcoin.
Why it Matters
First-wave Bitcoin L2 to ship a working ZK-Rollup mainnet with native support for BRC-20 and BRC-420 assets, paired with a large fair-launch token distribution that bootstrapped initial TVL.
Protocol Metrics
Related Research
View allFrequently asked questions about Merlin Chain
What is Merlin Chain?+
Merlin Chain is a Bridge protocol operating on Bitcoin, Merlin, Ethereum, BSC. Merlin Chain is a Bitcoin Layer-2 that bridges native BTC and BRC-20 assets into an EVM-compatible ZK-rollup, anchored to Bitcoin via a custodial multi-sig vault called Merlin's Seal.
How does Merlin Chain work?+
Merlin Chain provides an EVM-compatible ZK-Rollup L2 that locks native BTC and BRC-20 assets in Merlin's Seal and mints equivalents on the L2, allowing them to be used in DeFi and Ordinals applications while attesting state back to Bitcoin.
Is Merlin Chain safe?+
DeFi Sentinel rates Merlin Chain C with a safety score of 52/100, indicating rated risk. The score reflects five risk dimensions: smart contract & technical risk, economic design & market risk, governance & centralization, sustainability & competitive position, and reputation & social trust. Merlin Chain has 5 audits on record. DeFi Sentinel's analysis flagged 4 high, 8 medium, 4 low risk alerts across Smart Contract & Technical Risk, Governance & Centralization, Sustainability & Competitive Position, Economic Design & Market Risk and Reputation & Social Trust. As with all DeFi protocols, residual risk remains and users should review the full risk breakdown before depositing.
What is the safety score of Merlin Chain?+
Merlin Chain has a DeFi Sentinel safety score of 52/100 (rating C), last updated September 16, 2026. The score is computed across smart contract & technical risk (30%), economic design & market risk (25%), governance & centralization (20%), sustainability & competitive position (15%), and reputation & social trust (10%).
Which chains does Merlin Chain support?+
Merlin Chain is deployed on Bitcoin, Merlin, Ethereum, BSC.
Has Merlin Chain been audited?+
Yes. Merlin Chain has 5 audit reports on record from firms including SlowMist, BlockSec, Secure3. Audit reports and dates are linked under the Resources tab on this page.