Monad, an EVM-compatible layer-1 blockchain, has integrated Chainlink's Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP), enabling the secure transfer of over $5 billion worth of Coinbase's wrapped Bitcoin token, cbBTC, from the Base network. This integration, announced on March 2, 2026, establishes a direct bridge and injects Bitcoin-backed liquidity into Monad's decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem.
The technical implementation involves users locking cbBTC in a smart contract on Base. Chainlink's Decentralized Oracle Network (DON) then attests to this event and relays a verified proof to Monad, where an equivalent representation of cbBTC is minted. The process is secured by Chainlink's multi-layered Risk Management Network, designed to reduce cross-chain risks and maintain consistent 1:1 backing. "As Bitcoin-backed assets grow into the tens of billions, the infrastructure moving them has to meet that scale," said William Reilly, head of strategic initiatives at Chainlink Labs.
The move strategically positions Monad, which touts a throughput of up to 10,000 transactions per second, within the multi-chain landscape. Key DeFi applications on Monad, including Curvance and Neverland, are already adopting cbBTC markets. This unlocks new use cases such as collateralized lending, liquidity pools, and yield aggregation, directly addressing the historical constraint of generating yield from Bitcoin's proof-of-work design.
Coinbase originally launched cbBTC in September 2024 as a wrapped token on Ethereum and Base, backed 1:1 by BTC held in custody. The integration with Monad via Chainlink CCIP is seen as part of a broader industry trend to make Bitcoin a yield-bearing asset and enhance cross-chain interoperability.
