RenBTC is an ERC-20 token built on the Ethereum network, pegged to Bitcoin. This means that each RENBTC can be always redeemed for one Bitcoin, and hence tends to maintain its value at close to the Bitcoin market rate.

RenBTC is minted on the Ren platform, which is an open protocol that provides everyone with access to the inter-blockchain liquidity, helping to bring assets from other blockchains to Ethereum decentralized applications (DApps). The main cryptocurrencies supported are Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Zcash (ZEC).

The renBTC token is a direct competitor of Wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC). Minting the token is a fairly straightforward process, which sees users simply send their BTC to RenVM, which then secures the asset and mints an equivalent number of renBTC tokens on Ethereum.

Unlike other Bitcoin-backed tokens, renBTC is not a synthetic token, and doesn’t rely on any liquidation mechanisms to ensure it remains pegged to the value of BTC — instead, it’s a direct supply peg, meaning there are always enough BTC in reserve to cover the circulating renBTC supply.

Redeeming renBTC is just as simple as minting it. The user only needs to send their renBTC back to RenVM (paying a small gas fee to do so) which releases the native Bitcoin to the user’s address. The renBTC tokens are destroyed, reducing the supply to match the reduced reserves.

Ren (formerly Republic Protocol) — the development firm behind the Ren ecosystem was founded by Taiyang Zhang, who is also its current CEO.

Zhang was also a founding member of KeeperDAO and is one of the co-founders of Virgil Capital — a multi-strategy quantitative cryptocurrency trading firm. He is a skilled developer and early cryptocurrency adopter.

The Ren team also includes Loong Wang, the current CTO of Ren. Wang was the lead software developer for Neucode, and also holds the position of academic tutor at the Australian National University.

The rest of the team includes three more software developers, one blockchain developer, a researcher, and currently comprises more than 30 individuals.

What Makes RenBTC Unique?

The main difference between renBTC and other wrapped Bitcoin tokens is the fluid value exchange of the token. RenVM does not store any Bitcoin inside a centralized custodial platform but instead uses a decentralized network of nodes called Darknodes. Users can mint and burn tokens back and forth whenever they want, without needing to complete KYC to do so. The protocol can handle hundreds of transactions per minute, and has never been overloaded.

Additionally, RenVM can be directly integrated into numerous decentralized applications through the use of specialized adapters provided by Ren. This means that a user can directly utilize Bitcoin (via RENBTC) on a decentralized exchange (DEX) or lending platform without needing to jump through any hoops first.

It’s also important to note that the ECDSA private keys of RenVM are secret which creates a trustless, decentralized, and permissionless BTC token on the Ethereum network.