Citrea | Application Layer for Bitcoin

• Mainnet Launch: The Citrea Mainnet officially opened on January 27, 2026.

• DeFi on Bitcoin: You can now use your previously dormant Bitcoin for lending and trading.

• Over 30 Apps: More than 30 "₿apps (Bitcoin Apps)," including exchanges (DEXs) and privacy applications, will be released sequentially.

• Two Key Tokens: Introduction of "cBTC" for safe BTC usage and "ctUSD," a stablecoin with public backing.

• Dashboard Feature: A "User Dashboard" has been released where you can check your activity history.

Bitcoin has the strongest security, but its functionality is simple and mostly limited to "transfers."

Citrea is an "execution layer" (or expansion layer) that borrows Bitcoin's robust security to run complex applications similar to Ethereum.

Why is it Secure?

Unlike other "Bitcoin sidechains," Citrea uses the "Bitcoin blockchain itself" as its data storage location.

Since proofs (like receipts) of transactions conducted on Citrea are written onto Bitcoin, Citrea remains secure as long as Bitcoin is running.

Coinciding with the mainnet launch, over 30 "₿apps (Bitcoin Apps)" are emerging.

These give your Bitcoin new utilities.

Major Apps You Can Use

• Trade: Swap tokens on decentralized exchanges (DEXs) like Satsuma, JuiceSwap, and Fibrous.

• Lend: Lend BTC to earn yields using Morpho or Zentra Finance (Coming Soon).

• Privacy: Make private BTC payments using Crest (Coming Soon).

• Predict: Participate in BTC price prediction markets on Signal (Coming Soon).

The Citrea ecosystem is supported by two crucial tokens.

① cBTC (Citrea Bitcoin)

This is the Bitcoin used on Citrea.

• Feature: It holds the same value as regular BTC (1:1).

• Clementine Bridge: Uses a bridge built with special technology that "doesn't require trusting a specific person."

Even in the unlikely event of fraud, a mechanism (BitVM) is in place where the Bitcoin network itself detects it to protect assets.

② ctUSD (Citrea Dollar)

A new US Dollar-pegged stablecoin created for the Bitcoin economy.

• Issuer: Issued by the famous payments company MoonPay.

• Secure Backing: 100% backed by US Treasury bills and cash.

• Compliance: Designed to meet very strict US standards (such as the GENIUS Act) and available in over 160 countries.

This enables banking-like functions, such as "borrowing dollars using Bitcoin as collateral," to be performed safely on the blockchain.

For those asking "Where should I start?", the Citrea User Dashboard has been released.

What You Can Do on the Dashboard

• Check Progress: View your "Journey" record to see how much activity you've done on Citrea.

• Explore Apps: Access apps in categories like Bridge, Swap, and Lending directly from here.

• Build Profile: All activity from day one of the mainnet is recorded and will reflect your future contribution level.

At this moment, there is no specific mention of an airdrop, but considering the "Week 1 Boost" notation, using Citrea now is expected to be a criterion for future airdrop eligibility.

The specific actions explicitly mentioned in the blog are:

• Bridge
• Provide Liquidity
• Trade

Since Bridging and Liquidity Provision are boosted during the first week of mainnet operation (from Jan 27, 2026), completing these as early as possible should increase your dashboard progress efficiency.

The launch of the Citrea Mainnet is a major step in Bitcoin's evolution from a mere "piggy bank" to a "financial platform" with active economic activity.

In particular, safe operations with cBTC and the connection to the real world via ctUSD will be highly attractive to both institutional investors and general users.

First, access the dashboard and experience the new world of Bitcoin.