Asymmetric Research Joins Stacks Ecosystem to Boost Security for sBTC

The Stacks Foundation announced today that Asymmetric Research, a top security company, has joined the Stacks ecosystem as a security contributor to Bitcoin’s premier L2. By joining the Stacks signer network via our delegation program and serving as an embedded security team throughout their assessment of the future sBTC asset, the team is already significantly impacting the ecosystem.

Asymmetric has shown success in securing some of the most well-known protocols in the market. Leading bridge Wormhole, Jump Crypto, a number of high-profile DeFi projects, and prominent protocols including Solana, Cosmos, Berachain, and others all have it as a security partner. Asymmetric is also a key component of Firedancer, Solana’s much awaited new validator client.

In order to provide a smooth and safe transfer of Bitcoin to the Bitcoin L2 ecosystem, signers are essential to the Stacks network. They safeguard the deposit and withdrawal process between Bitcoin and sBTC. The Stacks Signer network will be the most resilient in the Bitcoin ecosystem as Asymmetric joins other industry leaders BitGo, Blockdaemon, Copper, Figment, Kiln, Luganodes, Chorus One, and more than 30 other institutional node operators in supporting the network and general security of sBTC.

With the anticipated introduction of sBTC in Q4 of this year, developers will have access to a decentralized, programmable, trust-minimized Bitcoin asset. Developers will be able to take use of the security, network effects, and 1.2T in latent capital of the Bitcoin network thanks to this asset, which is 1:1 backed by Bitcoin. Among other applications, sBTC will make it possible for more secure Bitcoin DeFi forms, which is anticipated to play a significant role in igniting the Bitcoin economy.

Layers of security are essential for every project, and Asymmetric Research is a significant contribution to Stacks’ security program as a whole. In addition to sBTC’s design to include 100% Bitcoin finality, which secures sBTC at the consensus level of a $2.5 billion network, this program currently incorporates sBTC’s decentralized network of validators/signers, eliminating the need to entrust a single organization and reducing counterparty risk.

A well-rounded approach to Stacks security has been enhanced by several activities this year in addition to the many audits, such as the audits conducted by Asymmetric Research. A dedicated whitehat security program, a consultation agreement with the Staking Defense League, an ongoing Immunefi bug bounty program, direct and continuous testing with the aforementioned top Signers, Hypernative’s onboarding, and Stacks Foundation Residents who are solely focused on fuzz and penetration testing through 2024 are all examples of this.

Mitchell Cuevas, Executive Director at The Stacks Foundation said:

“The value of building on Bitcoin comes down to security. It’s not enough to simply build on Bitcoin— ecosystems must prioritize securing activity at all layers as we collectively look to unlock the Bitcoin economy. With Asymmetric Research, the Stacks ecosystem is adding yet another high-caliber entity to the mix of industry leaders collaborating to make sBTC the best version of programmable sBTC available. Stacks core developers and Asymmetric share a commitment to protecting users and developers, and in addition to being a match in technical pedigree, are culturally aligned groups that will enhance each other’s thoughtful and rigorous approaches.”

Jonathan Claudius, Chief Executive Officer at Asymmetric Research added:

“Asymmetric Research is proud to participate in the Stacks ecosystem as it pioneers trust-minimized, decentralized assets like sBTC.”

Join us in welcoming the Asymmetric Research team to the Stacks Ecosystem, and stay tuned for further details on how you may participate in the work in the next weeks.