- Cardano has enabled the transfer of Bitcoin Ordinals to its mainnet, advancing Bitcoin decentralized finance (DeFi) capabilities.
- The transfer used BitVMX, an interoperability protocol built with the BitVM programming language.
- Input Output (IO), Cardano’s creator, announced the development at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas.
- The new “Cardinal” protocol lets Bitcoin-native assets be assigned to addresses on Cardano, linking Bitcoin and Cardano networks.
- The integration aims to offer DeFi services for Bitcoin holders and increase liquidity using value stored in Bitcoin assets.
Cardano has enabled Bitcoin Ordinals to be transferred to its blockchain mainnet, marking a technical step forward in linking Bitcoin and Cardano decentralized finance (DeFi). The transaction, completed using BitVMX, was announced by Input Output (IO) during the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Developers used the BitVM programming language to build BitVMX, which facilitates on-chain transactions between the Bitcoin and Cardano networks. In an announcement, IO called the bridge a “preview of what is to come,” outlining long-term plans for full Bitcoin-Cardano integration.
According to IO, the new “Cardinal” protocol—named as a blend of Cardano and Ordinals—enables Bitcoin assets to be programmed and used directly on Cardano. Cardinal harnesses BitVMX technology so that unique assets from Bitcoin, like Ordinals, can be managed at Cardano blockchain addresses.
The Ordinals protocol, launched in early 2023, lets users inscribe data onto individual satoshis—the smallest unit of bitcoin, equal to one hundred millionth of a bitcoin—making them unique and traceable. This process created a Bitcoin-native version of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that can now potentially interact with Cardano’s smart contract features.
IO said the ultimate goal is to allow DeFi services for Bitcoin users and to open up significant liquidity from Bitcoin’s stored value for use within the Cardano ecosystem.
No additional figures or token values were provided in this announcement.
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