Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano, expressed surprise after a Bitcoin developer, known as elraulito, introduced a seamless bridge connecting Bitcoin and Cardano apps. The developer announced this breakthrough in blockchain interoperability, revealing that Bitcoin wallets can now interact directly with Cardano’s ecosystem.
Bitcoin Wallets Interacting with Cardano Ecosystem
The newly developed smart contract, built on Plutus V3, enables Bitcoin users to send ADA, manage tokens, and stake in Cardano pools. Importantly, this functionality does not require users to set up a new wallet, offering a smooth user experience.
The developer explained how the smart contract was designed using various tools and protocols. One of the key tools is aiken, a smart contract language for Cardano, along with CIP69, which enhances address programmability.
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A multivalidator system enables transactions, delegations, and reward withdrawals. Additionally, MeshJS manages off-chain transactions. Mesh is an open-source library supporting Web3 app development and is currently among the few implementations compatible with Plutus V3.
With this bridge, Bitcoin users can engage with Cardano’s ecosystem without needing extra software. This offers a simple onboarding process. The developer also noted that this capability could eventually expand to all EVM chains, improving blockchain functionality and usability across networks.
Community Curiosity and Technical Breakdown
The announcement sparked curiosity among blockchain enthusiasts, who asked questions about the mechanics behind the bridge. One user questioned how Bitcoin wallets could initiate Cardano actions. The developer clarified that Bitcoin users could sign Cardano actions directly from their wallets. Once the signature is verified, Cardano nodes execute the action.
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This new feature could onboard users from outside the Cardano ecosystem, allowing them to participate in activities like liquid staking and airdrops without changing their wallets. Further discussions focused on the signature validation process. The smart contract checks the UTXO, receiver, amount, and asset details against its outputs.
This validation ensures secure and rule-compliant cross-chain transactions, opening doors for enhanced interoperability between Bitcoin and Cardano.
