Babylon | Bitcoin-Powered PoS Chain Security Protocol

What is Babylon?

Babylon designs a suite of protocols that leverage Bitcoin to provide security for Proof-of-Stake (PoS) chains and other decentralized systems. By unlocking new utility for Bitcoin's value, Babylon aims to strengthen the entire decentralized ecosystem. Babylon's approach is built on three fundamental properties of Bitcoin:

• Bitcoin as an Asset: A high-value cryptocurrency
• PoW Security-Based Timestamping: Tamper-resistant data protection
• Censorship-Resistant Block Space: Reliable decentralized record-keeping

Building on these foundations, Babylon has developed two primary protocols: Bitcoin Timestamping and Bitcoin Staking. These protocols are designed to address security challenges in PoS chains and create new economic opportunities.

Babylon launched its Mainnet in 2025, officially activating its Bitcoin staking service. Through the staking dashboard, Bitcoin holders can now participate in self-custodial staking.

👉 Visit the official site

BTC Timestamping for PoS Protection

PoS chains are inherently vulnerable to certain attacks. One major threat is the "Long-Range Attack," where malicious validators unbond their stake and then create a new fork from a past block. To prevent such forks, PoS chains can leverage Bitcoin timestamping.

• Preventing Long-Range Attacks: By timestamping PoS chain blocks on the Bitcoin blockchain, attackers are prevented from successfully creating alternative forks.
• Reducing Unbonding Periods: Timestamping can reduce PoS chain unbonding periods from weeks to hours.
• Enhancing Censorship Resistance: Timestamped transaction data remains protected on the Bitcoin blockchain even if the PoS chain is censored.
• Bootstrapping New Chains: New PoS chains with low initial token value can supplement their security externally through timestamping.

Bitcoin Staking: Providing Economic Security

Babylon's Bitcoin staking protocol enables Bitcoin holders to participate in staking as follows:

• Stake Initiation: Holders lock their Bitcoin in a self-custodial contract.
• Validation on PoS Chain: Once staked, the holder (or their delegated validator) validates blocks on the PoS chain and earns rewards.
• Stake Withdrawal: Holders who follow the protocol correctly can quickly withdraw their Bitcoin. Conversely, protocol violations result in slashing of the staked Bitcoin.

The foundation of the Bitcoin staking protocol is the control plane that bridges Bitcoin and PoS chains. This control plane performs the following key functions:

• Provides Bitcoin timestamping services to PoS chains, enabling synchronization with the Bitcoin network.
• Functions as a marketplace, matching Bitcoin stakes with PoS chains and tracking staking and validation information.
• Records finality signatures from PoS chains.

The term "plane" in this technical context refers to a "layer" or "specific domain responsible for certain functions." In computer networks and distributed systems, the "control plane" specifically refers to the layer handling system control and management functions.

For more detailed project information, please refer to the Docs.

Babylon raised $88 million in December 2023 from ABCDE, Polychain Capital, Hack VC, OKX Ventures, and others; received funding from Binance Labs in February 2024; and secured additional capital in May 2024 from Paradigm, AMBER, Mantle, and others. Furthermore, in January 2026, Babylon raised an additional $15 million from a16z crypto to accelerate the development of Trustless Bitcoin Vaults. The total funding raised exceeds $103 million.

Babylon conducted its TGE (Token Generation Event) on April 10, 2025, at 13:00 (UTC+3), launching the BABY token. On the same day at 18:00 (ET), trading began on Binance Spot with trading pairs BABY/USDT, BABY/USDC, BABY/BNB, BABY/FDUSD, and BABY/TRY.

Token Details:

• Ticker: BABY
• Initial Total Supply: 10 billion tokens
• Initial Circulating Supply: Approximately 2.29 billion tokens (22.9%)
• Listing Exchanges: Binance, OKX, and other major exchanges

The BABY token is currently tradable on major cryptocurrency exchanges.

Babylon's airdrop was completed on April 10, 2025. The BABY token is now tradable on major exchanges such as Binance.

Airdrop Overview

Babylon conducted an airdrop targeting Early Adopters. 600M BABY tokens (6% of total supply) were distributed to the following participants:

• Phase 1 Stakers: Users who participated in Bitcoin staking during Cap-1, Cap-2, or Cap-3
• Finality Providers: Validators who provided finality services
• Pioneer Pass Holders: Holders of the early participant NFT
• GitHub Contributors: Developers who contributed to the Babylon project

Airdrop Schedule

• Registration Period: February 25, 2025, 8:00 UTC – March 15, 2025, 8:00 UTC
• TGE / Distribution Date: April 10, 2025

Babylon continues its development efforts in 2026, with the following key milestones planned:

Q1 2026

• Trustless Bitcoin Vaults: Building infrastructure that enables native BTC to be used as collateral without bridges
• Bitcoin Liquidity App: Launching new applications that leverage Bitcoin liquidity

These developments will create new use cases within the Bitcoin ecosystem and contribute to the growth of BTCfi.

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The following describes the participation method for the Cap-3 airdrop campaign conducted from December 2024 to March 2025 (now concluded).

If you want to participate in Babylon Bitcoin staking through a self-custodial method, you can stake via the BTC staking dashboard.

• Access the dashboard: Visit the BTC staking dashboard.
• Connect your wallet: Connect a wallet that supports staking (see details below).
• Select a Finality Provider (FP): Choose an FP to delegate to. Note that delegation refers to delegating voting rights in the PoS protocol; your Bitcoin itself does not transfer to the FP.
• Execute staking: Follow the instructions to specify your staking amount.

Supported Wallets

• Browser extension wallets: Bitget Wallet, Keystone, OneKey, OKX Web3 Crypto Wallet, Tomo, Cactus Link
• Mobile wallets: Binance Web3 Wallet, imToken, CoinEX Wallet, Gate Web3 Wallet, Leap, Unisat (coming soon)
• MPC wallets: Fordefi Wallet, Colossus X Dfns, and others

You can also stake through exchanges like Binance and Bitrue. Other exchanges are expected to support this gradually.

You can also stake indirectly through Liquid Staking Token (LST) protocols.

Supported Protocols: Acorn, Babypie, Bedrock, Chakra, and others

You can also participate through digital asset custodians such as Anchorage and Hex Trust.

For detailed airdrop information, please refer to this article.

Participation Steps (Reference)

The steps for using a cryptocurrency wallet were as follows.

Summary of Steps

1. Visit the BTC staking dashboard
2. Connect a supported wallet
3. Select a Finality Provider
4. Specify the staking amount and complete the process following the instructions

Detailed Steps with Images

1. Visit the BTC staking dashboard

2. Connect a supported wallet

3. Select a Finality Provider (FP) and delegate Bitcoin's PoS voting rights

4. Specify the staking amount and complete the process following the instructions