Description
Mintlayer is a Layer 2 sidechain for Bitcoin, designed to enhance its capabilities for DeFi, tokenization, and cross-chain interoperability. It utilizes technologies like Atomic Swaps for trustless, peer-to-peer exchanges of assets across different blockchains, eliminating the need for intermediaries, wrapped tokens, and reducing counterparty risk. The platform supports the tokenization of Real World Assets (RWA) through a SaaS platform aimed at institutions, which includes built-in compliance services. Mintlayer is also developing the ZK Thunder Network, a high-speed, EVM-compatible Layer 3 scaling solution, to further enhance Bitcoin's functionality with ZK scalability. The architecture is inspired by Bitcoin, using a UTXO model and non-Turing complete smart contracts to prioritize security and reliability. It aims to be highly decentralized, with low hardware requirements for running a full node, and sustainable, with a focus on reducing computational demands. The ecosystem is supported by an ecosystem fund, incubator and accelerator programs, and a grants initiative to encourage development on the platform.