Bitcoin-Based ZK-Rollup Citrea Launches Mainnet

Citrea launches mainnet and stablecoin for Bitcoin scaling.

L2 project Citrea, aimed at scaling the first cryptocurrency, has launched its mainnet and native stablecoin.

1/8 Today, Citrea Mainnet Goes Live 🍊🍋

We are officially live with the first Bitcoin application layer that enables institutions and individuals to lend, trade, and settle directly on the Bitcoin Network.

Start your journey with Citrea Dashboard: https://t.co/adOsBrrFVb 🧵 pic.twitter.com/DISDyxlzBG

— Citrea (@citrea_xyz) January 27, 2026

The protocol employs the BitVM mechanism and zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP) technology to issue cBTC via the Clementine bridge. The solution minimizes trust—only one honest party is needed to detect and prevent illegal activities, the developers noted.

The mainnet functions as a rollup, providing off-chain transaction execution, and relies on the Bitcoin network as a settlement layer.

Citrea initially supports trading and liquidity provision services through the decentralized exchanges Satsuma, JuiceSwap, and Fibrous. Users also have access to a lending service on the Morpho platform.

The team announced the upcoming addition of private payment and trading options on Crest, as well as access to market forecasts via Signals.

The project introduced the stablecoin ctUSD for “Bitcoin-oriented markets.” The asset is issued by MoonPay and operates on the M0 infrastructure. According to the statement, the token complies with the GENIUS Act and is available to users in the US and 160 other countries worldwide.

“This marks the beginning of the next major experiment in creating sustainable demand for block space,” commented Casa co-founder Jameson Lopp on the launch of Citrea.

Back in January, the Boundless team introduced a method for using Bitcoin to verify resource-intensive ZKP.