BitGo Becomes the First US Qualified Custodian to Offer Secure Institutional Yield for $2T of Untapped Bitcoin Liquidity via Core

Core Foundation, the entity dedicated to growing Core, the largest Bitcoin DeFi ecosystem, today announced its integration with BitGo, the global leader in institutional-grade custody and financial services for digital assets. The integration marks a new era in Bitcoin DeFi (BTCfi) as BitGo becomes the first custodian to enable institutional access to Dual Staking, enabling clients to earn scalable Bitcoin yield while maintaining the hallmark security and trustlessness of the Bitcoin blockchain.

Unlocking Institutional BTC Yield at Scale

BitGo’s integration with Core introduces institutional clients to secure Bitcoin staking , leveraging Core’s cutting-edge Dual Staking model. By timelocking client Bitcoin and staking CORE tokens directly from BitGo’s qualified custody platform, institutions can unlock scalable, tiered yield without incurring any slashing, credit, counterparty, or smart contract risks on their principal assets.

Core is the leading Bitcoin aligned ecosystem, with CORE being the fastest growing top 15 chain, exceeding $1B in TVL, according to DefiLlama.

“BitGo’s decision to integrate Core is a milestone for institutional-grade Bitcoin staking,” said Rich Rines, Initial Contributor at Core. “By combining Core’s secure, sustainable, and scalable staking solutions with BitGo’s unparalleled custody services, we’re ushering in a new era of Bitcoin DeFi.”

What the Integration Delivers

• Institutional-Grade Custody: BitGo’s trusted custody solutions enable secure, user-friendly staking of Bitcoin and CORE tokens, unlocking sustainable yield for institutional investors.
• Enhanced BTC Yield: Dual Staking offers higher returns, with CORE staking unlocking top-tier yield rates.
• Battle-Tested Security: Core’s staking solutions allow Bitcoin holders to retain full custody of their assets, avoiding counterparty risk and maintaining Bitcoin’s security-first ethos.

"BitGo’s integration with Core underscores our commitment to expanding opportunities for institutional clients to securely generate yield from their Bitcoin holdings," said Mike Belshe, CEO of BitGo. "As the first US qualified custodian to enable access to Core’s innovative Dual Staking model, we’re delivering scalable and sustainable solutions that align with Bitcoin’s security-first principles while unlocking new value for institutions."

Opening Bitcoin DeFi to Institutions

Core’s innovative staking solutions establish Bitcoin’s “risk-free rate” for the first time, offering yields subsidized by transaction fees and 81 years of Bitcoin block rewards. Secured by 75% of Bitcoin’s hash power through robust miner participation, Core enables groundbreaking staking solutions, including over 5,300 BTC staked to unlock billions in previously passive Bitcoin value.

In addition, Core provides a scalable and sustainable foundation for institutional Bitcoin staking with over $900 million in total value locked (TVL) and robust ecosystem activity—including 100+ dApps, 500,000 weekly active wallets, and 319 million transactions since launch.

Spotlight on Bitcoin Fusion MENA Bitcoin Fusion MENA, taking place on December 10, 2024, in Abu Dhabi, brings together global blockchain leaders to explore the future of Bitcoin and DeFi. In addition to panel events, fireside chats, and networking opportunities, be sure to visit Core at Booth M-120 to discover more about its partnership with BitGo and learn how Dual Staking unlocks institutional-grade Bitcoin yield. To RSVP, please visit https://lu.ma/9mp78kq4.

For frequently asked questions about Dual Staking, visit https://docs.coredao.org/docs/FAQs/dual-staking-faqs. Watch quick tutorials on boosting yield with Dual Staking at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqzGoQwT9Rs and learn more about the Core Foundation at https://coredao.org/.

About BitGo

BitGo is the leading infrastructure provider of digital asset solutions, offering custody, wallets, staking, trading, financing and settlement out of regulated cold storage. Founded in 2013, BitGo is the first digital asset company to focus exclusively on serving institutional clients. BitGo also secures approximately 20% of all on-chain Bitcoin transactions by value and is the largest independent digital asset custodian in the world. For more information, please visit www.bitgo.com.

About Core

Core is the Proof of Stake (PoS) layer for Bitcoin, enabling Non-Custodial Bitcoin Staking and supporting an EVM-compatible BTCfi ecosystem. Since April 2024, over 6,700 BTC have been staked with Core, enhancing Bitcoin’s utility and security. Core is the most Bitcoin-aligned EVM blockchain, with ~76% of Bitcoin mining hash power contributing to the network’s security. This breakthrough has amassed millions of Core adopters — over 31M unique addresses, 325M+ transactions, and over $1BTVL on-chain since its mainnet launch in January 2023.