LayerZero, the bridging protocol facilitating communication between various crypto networks, intends to integrate with Rootstock, a Bitcoin sidechain, marking its inaugural connection with the original blockchain. Rootstock's goal is to overcome Bitcoin's "isolation" from other blockchains due to its absence of native smart contracts—a limitation that LayerZero can effectively resolve, as detailed in an announcement shared with CoinDesk on TK. The Bitcoin blockchain does not support the smart contracts that are essential for building decentralized finance (DeFi) services, which other blockchains offer. This lack of DeFi capabilities on Bitcoin—despite its value exceeding that of all other blockchains combined—hinders broader adoption.

Consequently, developers are exploring methods to leverage the substantial liquidity within Bitcoin (BTC) and enable its bridging to the wider crypto ecosystem. With the integration of Rootstock and LayerZero, developers will have the opportunity to create applications on the Bitcoin sidechain that can interact with over 100 other blockchains, including Ethereum and Solana, according to the announcement from Rootstock.