Rootstock, the most secure Bitcoin DeFi layer, is now home to Mellow Protocol’s vault infrastructure, bringing institutional Bitcoin capital onto structured, auditable onchain vaults.
Mellow has partnered with Tyr Capital, a digital asset-focused alternative fund manager, to launch the first institutional Bitcoin vault on Rootstock. The vault uses smart contracts to define how BTC can be deployed and who can operate it, with rules enforced onchain. It is built for institutions that require clear processes, separated roles and predictable behavior when deploying Bitcoin.
Why This Matters
Institutional Bitcoin capital has largely been limited to holding, or simple lending structures. These models do not provide the level of structure that institutional allocators typically require.
Rootstock introduces a different approach.
With Mellow’s infrastructure, BTC can now serve as an input to curated institutional vaults, where:
- Capital movement is predefined
- Strategy permissions are explicitly configured
- Execution venues are restricted at the vault level
Risk is not assumed or described informally; it is configured in the vault design and enforced by code. This is a step toward making Bitcoin a core component of institutional-grade structured onchain products.
Why Mellow Protocol and Rootstock
Mellow provides vault smart contract primitives designed to deploy curated onchain products with explicit risk constraints and defined execution surfaces. Its infrastructure focuses on:
- Enforced role separation
- Transparent strategy permissions
- Execution controls at the vault layer
Rootstock provides the environment that makes DeFi with real BTC possible. It underpins vaults where the design is anchored around Bitcoin as the base asset, combining:
- Bitcoin security as the foundation for the network
- Full EVM compatibility for advanced vault and strategy logic
- An ecosystem focused specifically on Bitcoin-backed financial applications
Together, they create an operating environment where institutional vault structures and Bitcoin-native capital share the same execution surface.
From Passive Bitcoin to Structured Onchain Capital
This integration lays the groundwork for institutional Bitcoin capital to enter structured, onchain vaults.
It shifts BTC from a passive balance sheet asset into programmable capital operating inside defined strategy frameworks designed for review, oversight and controlled execution.
For the institutional side of the BTC ecosystem, this means:
- More structured financial products built on Bitcoin
- Transparent and enforceable risk frameworks onchain
- Infrastructure that aligns more closely with institutional operating models
Explore Bitcoin vaults on Rootstock
The integration of Mellow Protocol with Rootstock reinforces how Bitcoin-native technology can support more structured onchain systems without moving away from the underlying asset. Rootstock’s design around real BTC and Bitcoin-native security creates a base layer suited for institutional-grade vaults. Stay close to Mellow and Rootstock as this Bitcoin-native stack continues to evolve.