BTKN is the Bitcoin token standard we wished existed when we started building on Bitcoin. It’s fast, it’s incredibly cheap, and it moves natively on Bitcoin without any of the UX limitations that usually comes with tokens on Bitcoin.For developers, BTKN just makes sense. You can mint tokens in seconds, transfer them instantly, and your users never have to think about gas fees or wait for confirmations. They’re native Bitcoin tokens that inherit all of Bitcoin’s security guarantees.BTKN is everything we learned building on Bitcoin, distilled into one protocol. We took the best parts of Bitcoin’s UTXO model, added instant settlement when you need it, and made sure you can always fall back to Bitcoin’s base layer when security matters most.
In more technical terms: BTKN (Bitcoin Token) is our adaptation of the LRC-20 protocol but specifically optimized for Spark. We discovered LRC-20 in Summer 2023 and were impressed by it. After pushing it to its limits, we realized we needed to make significant improvements and changes that warranted its own identity: BTKN.BTKN has two key components: Bitcoin (L1) as the settlement layer and Spark as the execution engine.On Bitcoin (L1), BTKN works by tweaking Bitcoin addresses in a way that embeds token data inside regular transactions. Bitcoin nodes process these transactions as usual, but BTKN-aware nodes can extract and verify token movements by watching how those keys are adjusted.On Spark, BTKN doesn’t need to play the same tricks as L1, we don’t tweak keys. Instead, they exist natively as metadata within Spark’s TTXOs. When an issuer mints new tokens, they submit a transaction embedding the token’s details—amount, ID, and properties—directly into a designated TTXO. Spark Operators validate these transactions, making sure they follow protocol rules and attesting to state changes. They then share this data with BTKN nodes, which continuously track transactions and keep Spark in sync with L1. BTKN tokens on Spark inherit the same L1 guarantees as Bitcoin—you can unilaterally exit your assets at any time.
