Anchorage Digital Powers Bitcoin DeFi Expansion with BOB Partnership

Anchorage Digital, the operator of the only federally chartered crypto bank in the United States, has partnered with Build on Bitcoin (BOB) to enhance institutional access to decentralized finance (DeFi) on Bitcoin. This collaboration designates Anchorage Digital as the preferred custodian for BOB, a hybrid zero-knowledge rollup chain that integrates Ethereum's (ETH) DeFi innovation with Bitcoin's (BTC) security.

The move allows institutions and asset holders to engage with Bitcoin finance (BTCfi) via BOB's native token, available through Anchorage Digital Bank N.A. in the U.S. and Anchorage Digital Singapore, regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Additionally, Anchorage supports BOB through its self-custody wallet, Porto. This development builds on Anchorage's existing institutional clientele, including BlackRock and Cantor Fitzgerald, with BlackRock having appointed the bank as custodian for its iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF in April 2025.

The Bitcoin DeFi ecosystem has seen remarkable growth, with total value locked (TVL) reaching $9.33 billion as of recent data, up from approximately $4.6 billion in November 2024. TVL peaked at an all-time high of $11.5 billion in October 2025, underscoring the sector's rapid expansion. BOB itself currently boasts over $250 million in TVL, while other major Bitcoin DeFi protocols like Babylon lead with $5.68 billion in TVL, followed by Lombard Finance and Threshold Network.

Nathan McCauley, CEO of Anchorage Digital, emphasized the significance, stating, "Bitcoin has been time-tested as one of the most secure and established networks. It's tremendously exciting to see smart contract capabilities grow on Bitcoin, paving the way for new applications that blend Bitcoin's security with new use cases. At Anchorage Digital, we're proud to support innovators like BOB and to empower institutions to participate." This partnership aims to fuel further adoption by providing regulated, secure avenues for yield generation on Bitcoin holdings.