Loading Search...
Bitway funding hits $5.8M as TRON DAO leads a $4.44M seed round to accelerate Bitcoin-native DeFi and BTCFi infrastructure.
Author: Kritika Gupta
21st January 2026- Bitway, a Bitcoin-focused Layer 1 blockchain protocol, has raised $4.444 million in a seed funding round led by TRON DAO, with participation from HTX Ventures. This round follows an earlier lead investment from YZi Labs through its EASY Residency incubation program, bringing Bitway’s total funding to $5.8 million.
Notably, Bitway was founded by alumni from Binance Labs and Chainspace. Since launch, the protocol has shown strong early traction, attracting over 69,700 users and recording a rapid $20 million TVL inflow within five minutes during a Binance Booster campaign.
High Signal Summary For A Quick Glance
Cryptogics
@cryptogics
💰 @BitwayOfficial raises $4.44M in a Seed funding round led by @yzilabs, with participation from @trondao Foundation and @Ventures_HTX. #Bitway is a #Layer1 blockchain protocol designed for Bitcoin-based applications. It allows users to continue using their Bitcoin wallet with https://t.co/x9lcEzjReB
04:14 PM·Jan 20, 2026
PHOENIX - Crypto News & Analytics
@pnxgrp
💰 @BitwayOfficial raises $4.44M in a Seed funding round #Bitway secures $4.44M in a Seed funding round led by @TRONDAO, with participation from @Ventures_HTX, building on @YZiLabs' earlier lead investment via @EASYResidency. This funding round brings Bitway's total funding to https://t.co/4HpoPgWO5U
03:35 PM·Jan 20, 2026
Fundraising Digest
@CryptoRank_VCs
Bitway $4.44M Seed Round⚡️ 📑 About: @BitwayOfficial is a Layer 1 blockchain protocol designed for Bitcoin-based applications. 🤝 Investors: @yzilabs (Lead), @trondao, and @Ventures_HTX https://t.co/9ISpeG4WnZ
10:26 AM·Jan 20, 2026
Before this seed round, Bitway participated in EASY Residency Season 1, an accelerator run by YZi Labs that focuses on Web3, AI, and biotech startups. During this phase, Bitway launched Bitway Earn on BNB Chain, offering users stable yields through relatively low-risk strategies such as arbitrage.
Crucially, early integrations with Binance Wallet and the success of its Booster Program where $20 million in USDT subscriptions filled almost instantly helped validate demand. Consequently, this momentum made Bitway an attractive target for strategic investors like TRON DAO.
Meanwhile, TRON DAO has a track record of backing DeFi infrastructure projects. For example, it invested $2 million in Curve Finance in 2023 to expand DeFi across TRON and BTTC networks. More recently, it committed an additional $45 million to World Liberty Financial in 2025, bringing its total investment there to $75 million. In past cases, such moves fueled ecosystem growth.
Key milestones related to Bitway’s funding and development
Protocol established by former Binance Labs and Chainspace alumni with a focus on Bitcoin-native finance.
Bitway joins YZi Labs’ EASY Residency Season 1 accelerator, targeting early-stage Web3 infrastructure projects.
Launch of Bitway Earn on BNB Chain, offering stablecoin yields through relatively low-risk arbitrage strategies.
Early integration with Binance Wallet accelerates onboarding and protocol visibility.
Binance Booster campaign attracts $20 million in USDT within five minutes, validating strong market demand.
Rapid growth highlights early product–market fit ahead of institutional fundraising.
Seed funding led by TRON DAO with participation from HTX Ventures brings total funding to $5.8 million.
Planned TGE alongside a $1 million presale on Kaito Launchpad at an $80M fully diluted valuation.
What differentiates Bitway is its Bitcoin-native design. Instead of relying on EVM-based chains or complex bridging mechanisms, Bitway focuses on extending Bitcoin’s functionality directly. This approach aims to reduce cross-chain risk while keeping Bitcoin as the core settlement and value layer.
Bitway Earn serves as the protocol’s primary yield product. It allows users to earn returns on stablecoins such as USDT through relatively low-risk strategies, including arbitrage. Early adoption was driven by integrations and incentive programs, demonstrating demand for Bitcoin-adjacent yield products without heavy exposure to volatility.
In addition, Bitway offers native BTC financing through self-custodial vaults. Users can access instant loans while retaining control of their Bitcoin, aligning with Bitcoin’s self-sovereign ethos and avoiding the custody risks common in centralized lending platforms.
Alongside these products, Bitway is developing a purpose-built Layer 1 blockchain optimized for lending, payments, and decentralized trading finance (DeTraFi). The chain is expected to support both EVM and WASM environments, include built-in oracles, and use FROST signature schemes to secure wrapped BTC.
Relative positioning against past updates or peers
Looking ahead, Bitway plans to conduct a token generation event (TGE) for its native $BTW token in late January 2026. Ahead of that, a presale on Kaito Launchpad aims to raise $1 million at an $80 million fully diluted valuation. If successful, the token launch could enable community governance and strengthen incentive alignment across the ecosystem.
More broadly, this funding round positions Bitway to benefit from the expanding BTCFi narrative, as demand grows for Bitcoin-based lending, yield, and payments. At the same time, TRON DAO’s involvement signals continued institutional interest in Bitcoin-compatible DeFi infrastructure. With additional support from HTX Ventures, Bitway may gain faster global distribution and liquidity access.
Our Crypto Talk is committed to unbiased, transparent, and true reporting to the best of our knowledge. This news article aims to provide accurate information in a timely manner. However, we advise the readers to verify facts independently and consult a professional before making any decisions based on the content since our sources could be wrong too. Check our Terms and conditions for more info.
