BOB is pleased to announce the launch of the first Hybrid Nodes, powered by a world-class group of infrastructure providers, exchanges, asset managers and staking operators: Ankr, ANTPOOL, CoinEx, GlobalStake, Nansen, RigSec, RockX, Satlayer, Sensei Node, Simply Staking, Solv Protocol, StakeFish, Tyr Capital, UTXO Management, ViaBTC.
These operators bring deep expertise across Bitcoin infrastructure, enterprise staking, cross-chain security and institutional asset management. Together, they will help secure BOB, enable trust-minimized BTC functionality and power the next generation of Bitcoin-native applications.
Hybrid Nodes Secure the Gateway to Bitcoin DeFi
Hybrid Nodes will ultimately be responsible for critical operations at the protocol layer of the Gateway for Bitcoin DeFi - enabling secure BTC finality, cross-chain intents-based swaps, and the BitVM-powered logic that makes native Bitcoin interoperability possible.
We ensure that only the best providers serve BOB. And who better to decide what is best than the BOB stakers? BOB stakers delegate their BOB tokens to Hybrid Nodes to rank them. This ranking is then used to select the top nodes to run BitVM, finality providers, Bitcoin-intent solvers, and more. Delegations also affect the share of protocol fees earned by each Hybrid Node.
Multifunctional network support
Hybrid Nodes will have two main functions with the launch of Bitcoin finality in early 2026.
- BitVM Operators - They enable native Bitcoin functionality on BOB: (1) Bitcoin vaults that allow users to borrow stablecoins against native BTC collateral and (2) a BTC bridge with security enforced on Bitcoin by BitVM. The trust model in both is 1-of-n trust model - only one honest operator is required to ensure that users receive their BTC back to Bitcoin. And users can be part of this set: so users only need to keep the data around to generate a zk proof to enforce withdrawals back to Bitcoin.
- Finality Providers (FPs) - They attest to Bitcoin finality as part of BOB’s hybrid settlement model. Bitcoin finality needs to be both secure and fast. By ensuring that Hybrid Nodes are ranked, BOB ensures alignment between the best providers in the industry.
More roles will be added as the ecosystem expands:
- Gateway Solvers - executing BTC swap, bridge & DeFi deployment intents
- Block Builders - producing MEV-aware, optimized blocks
- Additional operator roles tailored for cross-chain and BTC-native innovation
This modular approach ensures BOB can scale its infrastructure while preserving security and decentralization. All handled under a single umbrella: Hybrid Nodes.
Bitcoin Based Security
BOB’s design merges Bitcoin-level assurance with modern cross-chain guarantees:
- BitVM Security: “1-of-n” honesty assumption backed by ZK proofs.
- Economic Finality: Staking + slashing ensures aligned incentives
- Delegations: Non-custodial staking so operators never control user assets
- On-chain Transparency: All operations are publicly auditable
This hybrid security model combines Bitcoin-anchored trust, a native BTC bridge secured by BitVM and a native Ethereum bridge secured by zk fraud proofs. All managed and operated by BOB’s Hybrid Nodes.
Launch Rollout
Hybrid Nodes will roll out in structured phases:
Phase 1 - Pre-Staking (live)
Delegators choose Hybrid Node operators early and help shape the initial ranking.
Phase 2 - Infrastructure Activation
BitVM Operators and Finality Providers come online, enabling core Bitcoin functionality.
Phase 3 - Role Expansion
Gateway Solvers, Block Builders, and additional node types join as BOB’s cross-chain and execution capabilities grow.
Making Bitcoin Usable Everywhere
Hybrid Nodes serve as the infrastructure mesh that enables BOB to make Bitcoin usable everywhere - from bridging and DeFi to settlement and cross-chain execution.
They provide:
- Bitcoin-backed security
- High-quality cross-chain routing
- A decentralized, economically aligned operator network
- The foundation for Bitcoin-native intents and applications
With a consortium of proven, globally trusted partners running Hybrid Nodes, BOB is entering a new era of Bitcoin-powered interoperability and innovation.
