BabylonChain
Babylon Labs builds Bitcoin staking and security infrastructure enabling native BTC staking, cross-chain timestamping, and trustless Bitcoin vaults for DeFi collateral, serving Bitcoin holders, institutions, and PoS networks across the Cosmos and Bitcoin ecosystems.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersPalo Alto, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What BabylonChain does
BabylonChain (operating as Babylon Labs) is a blockchain infrastructure company headquartered in Palo Alto, California, that builds Bitcoin staking and security protocols leveraging Bitcoin's native consensus to secure Proof-of-Stake (PoS) networks. Founded in 2022 by Stanford Professor David Tse and cryptography expert Fisher Yu, the company has developed a protocol that enables Bitcoin holders to stake BTC directly on the Bitcoin network without wrapping, bridging, or transferring custody to third parties, using Bitcoin Taproot, Tapscript, and Schnorr signatures combined with Extractable One-Time Signatures (EOTS) for slashing-enabled security. The system has attracted over 57,000 BTC (~$5.64B in TVL) across 25+ integrated Cosmos SDK chains, a broader ecosystem of 100,000+ users, liquid staking token protocols (Lombard, Bedrock, Solv, Lorenzo, etc.), and qualified institutional custodians (Anchorage Digital, Ceffu, HexTrust, Cobo). Core products include the Bitcoin Staking Protocol, Babylon Genesis (a Cosmos SDK coordination layer with dual BTC/BABY staking), and Trustless Bitcoin Vaults (TBV), which enables native BTC to be used as DeFi collateral on Ethereum via Aave v4 without bridges or wrapped tokens.
The company is currently pre-revenue: Babylon does not charge platform fees for core staking, with future monetization expected from BABY token gas fees, Finality Provider commissions (3-5% of rewards earned), and DeFi protocol fees following the planned Q2 2026 Aave v4 integration of TBV. The go-to-market is hybrid—product-led growth via a self-serve staking interface at btcstaking.babylonlabs.io and direct institutional sales through qualified custodians. Customers span four primary segments: individual and institutional Bitcoin holders, PoS chains/L2s/rollups that become Bitcoin Supercharged Networks, Finality Provider node operators, and DeFi protocols leveraging TBV for native BTC collateral. Babylon has raised $103M across three rounds (May 2022 seed of $8.8M led by IDG Capital and Breyer Capital; December 2023 Series A of $18M led by Polychain Capital and Hack VC; January 2026 $15M from a16z Crypto), with an additional $70M round in May 2024 led by Paradigm. The service is geographically restricted, excluding US, Canadian, and Australian retail users along with OFAC-sanctioned jurisdictions.
BabylonChain firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BabylonChain
- Legal name
- Babylon Labs
- Website
- https://babylonlabs.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Babylon Labs builds Bitcoin staking and security infrastructure enabling native BTC staking, cross-chain timestamping, and trustless Bitcoin vaults for DeFi collateral, serving Bitcoin holders, institutions, and PoS networks across the Cosmos and Bitcoin ecosystems.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BabylonChain industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bitcoin Staking Infrastructure
- NAICS
- Securities and Commodity Exchanges (523210), Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)
- SIC
- Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200), Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Custodial Staking Providers (FSADAHAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Decentralized Lending Protocols (DeFi Money Markets) (FSADAFAB)
Keywords
Where BabylonChain is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Palo Alto
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
BabylonChain business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Protocol Operations & Gas Fees: BABY token is used for transactions/gas features on Babylon Genesis chain. Users pay BABY for transaction fees when interacting with the protocol, staking, governance, and DeFi operations.
- Finality Provider Commission: Finality Providers charge commission (typically 3-5% of rewards earned) for validating PoS chains. Stakers delegate BTC to FPs who provide security to Bitcoin Supercharged Networks and earn rewards, with commissions passed to FPs.
- DeFi Protocol Integration Fees: Revenue expected following Aave v4 integration for Trustless Bitcoin Vaults. Users borrow stablecoins through Aave v4 using native BTC as collateral, generating lending/borrowing fee revenue for the broader DeFi ecosystem.
- Staking Rewards Distribution: BTC stakers and BABY stakers receive rewards from annual inflation. Co-staking allows additional 2.35% annual inflation rewards by staking both BTC and BABY simultaneously. Total co-staking pool is 2.35% of annual inflation distributed proportionally.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | BTC Staking - No Platform Fees |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Co-Staking Rewards - 2.35% Annual Inflation |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Governance - Minimum Deposit 50,000 BABY |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels7 records
BabylonChain product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BabylonChain designs and operates a Bitcoin staking protocol and Trustless Bitcoin Vaults (TBV) that allow Bitcoin holders to stake native BTC or use it as DeFi collateral without wrapping, bridging, or third-party custody. The protocol uses Bitcoin Taproot/Tapscript and Schnorr signatures for self-custodial staking, Extractable One-Time Signatures for validator slashing, and a Bitcoin Timestamping Protocol that anchors PoS checkpoints to Bitcoin's ledger to reduce unbonding from weeks to under five hours.
Product overview
BabylonChain is a Bitcoin infrastructure protocol offering multiple interconnected products: (1) Bitcoin Staking Protocol - enables native BTC staking on Bitcoin without wrapping/bridging; (2) Trustless Bitcoin Vaults (TBV) - allows BTC to serve as collateral on Ethereum DeFi via Aave v4; (3) Babylon Genesis - Cosmos SDK-based coordination layer with dual BTC/BABY staking; (4) Bitcoin Supercharged Networks - PoS chains secured by Bitcoin staking; (5) Co-Staking - mechanism for earning additional rewards by staking both BTC and BABY. The ecosystem includes 40+ wallet integrations, multiple custody services, exchanges, and liquid staking token projects built on the protocol.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Babylon Genesis: The coordination layer for the Babylon protocol, serving as the control plane for Bitcoin staking security and liquidity orchestration. Built on the Cosmos SDK framework.
- BABY
- Trustless Bitcoin Vaults (TBV)
- Bitcoin Supercharged Networks (BSN)
Products and services
- Bitcoin Staking Protocol
- Babylon Genesis Chain
- Trustless Bitcoin Vaults (TBV)
- Institutional Staking
- Bitcoin Supercharged Networks (BSN) Program
- Babylon Staking API
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 57,000 BTC staked (~$5.64B), representing ~0.3% of all Bitcoin
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use BabylonChain
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
BabylonChain technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration61 records
Feature8 records
BabylonChain partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- LedgercoreHardware wallet integration expanding access to Trustless Bitcoin Vaults. Ledger users can stake BTC directly from their hardware wallets with full self-custody, enhancing security for institutional and retail users.
- AavecorePartnership to bring Bitcoin-backed lending to Aave v4. Trustless Bitcoin Vaults (TBV) will integrate with Aave v4 in Q2 2026, enabling native BTC to be used as collateral for borrowing stablecoins. Combines Babylon vault security with Aave borrowing liquidity. BABY token surged following announcement.
- Anchorage DigitalcoreQualified custodian providing institutional Bitcoin staking services for Babylon. Enables institutional investors to stake BTC through regulated, compliant custody solutions with non-custodial design.
- CeffucoreQualified custodian providing institutional Bitcoin staking for Babylon with secure multi-entity custody infrastructure.
- HexTrustcoreQualified custodian providing institutional Bitcoin staking for Babylon with licensed custody services for institutional investors.
- CobocoreQualified custodian providing institutional Bitcoin staking for Babylon. Supports both custodial and non-custodial staking options.
- Lombard (LBTC)coreLiquid staking token project built on Babylon. LBTC is a yield-bearing Bitcoin LRT designed for DeFi, enabling lending, borrowing, and trading across chains while maintaining Bitcoin exposure.
- Bedrock (UniBTC)coreLiquid staking token protocol offering institutional-grade BTC yield products through Babylon staking. Part of ecosystem of liquid staking tokens.
- Cosmos HubcoreIntegrated with Cosmos Hub for interchain communications via IBC protocol. Part of the 25+ Cosmos SDK chains connected to Babylon.
- AltLayercoreBitcoin Supercharged Network providing rollup infrastructure. Part of ecosystem category in Babylon's ecosystem page.
- Manta NetworkcoreBitcoin Supercharged Network focused on Zero-Knowledge applications and interoperability. Developer experience for ZK applications on Babylon.
- CoinspectcoreSecurity firm conducting audits of Babylon Bitcoin Staking Protocol Phase 1 and Babylon Genesis v4 Upgrade. Provided Phase 1 audit reports and v4 upgrade audits.
- ZelliccoreSecurity firm conducting Phase 1 audits of Babylon Bitcoin Staking Protocol. Provided comprehensive security assessment reports.
- Oak Security GmbHcoreSecurity firm conducting V2 audits for Babylon Genesis v2 Upgrade alongside Informal Systems.
- Informal SystemscoreSecurity firm conducting V2 audits for Babylon Genesis v2 Upgrade and part of Covenant Committee for testnet. Provided formal verification of protocol.
- HalborncoreSecurity firm conducting Babylon Genesis v4 Upgrade audits and Frontend Staking Application audits.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
BabylonChain competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Symbiotic: Symbiotic is an emerging restaking protocol offering flexible, multi-asset security coordination. Emerging peer in the broader restaking infrastructure category with similar security-leasing mechanics.
- PumpBTC: PumpBTC is an emerging Bitcoin liquid staking token protocol built on Babylon's infrastructure. Emerging peer with partial overlap in BTC staking derivatives.
Direct peers
- Solv Protocol: Solv Protocol issues SolvBTC.BBN, a liquid staking token built on Babylon's Bitcoin staking protocol. Direct peer offering Bitcoin liquid staking products via Babylon infrastructure.
- Lorenzo Protocol: Lorenzo Protocol offers stBTC, a Bitcoin Liquidity Finance Layer built on Babylon's staking infrastructure. Direct peer in BTC liquid staking with focus on DeFi composability.
- pSTAKE Finance: pSTAKE Finance issues yBTC, a liquid staking token product integrated with Babylon's Bitcoin staking protocol. Direct peer in the multi-chain liquid staking ecosystem.
- Lombard Finance: Lombard Finance issues LBTC, a yield-bearing Bitcoin Liquid Restaking Token built directly on Babylon's staking protocol. Direct peer offering competing liquid staking products using the same underlying infrastructure.
- Bedrock: Bedrock issues UniBTC, an institutional-grade Bitcoin liquid staking token built on Babylon. Direct peer in the BTC liquid staking token category with similar institutional focus.
- Stride: Stride is a Cosmos-native liquid staking protocol allowing users to liquid-stake ATOM and other Cosmos assets. Direct peer in the Cosmos SDK liquid staking ecosystem with overlapping technology stack and similar IBC integration.
Broad incumbents
- EigenLayer: EigenLayer pioneered the restaking category on Ethereum, allowing ETH stakers to secure additional services. Broader incumbent in restaking with significantly larger capital base but operates on Ethereum rather than Bitcoin.
- Karak Network: Karak is a multi-chain restaking protocol offering similar security-as-a-service infrastructure. Broader incumbent in the restaking space with multi-chain focus including support for Bitcoin-secured networks.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BabylonChain social profiles
Digital presenceBabylonChain compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance12 records
BabylonChain financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BabylonChain leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
BabylonChain funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors42 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BabylonChain M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments3 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BabylonChain
What does BabylonChain do?
BabylonChain designs and operates a Bitcoin staking protocol and Trustless Bitcoin Vaults (TBV) that allow Bitcoin holders to stake native BTC or use it as DeFi collateral without wrapping, bridging, or third-party custody. The protocol uses Bitcoin Taproot/Tapscript and Schnorr signatures for self-custodial staking, Extractable One-Time Signatures for validator slashing, and a Bitcoin Timestamping Protocol that anchors PoS checkpoints to Bitcoin's ledger to reduce unbonding from weeks to under five hours.
Is BabylonChain a public or private company?
BabylonChain is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was BabylonChain founded?
BabylonChain was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is BabylonChain based?
BabylonChain is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States, in the North America region.
How does BabylonChain make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Protocol Operations & Gas Fees are the primary driver. The others are finality Provider Commission, deFi Protocol Integration Fees and staking Rewards Distribution.
Who are BabylonChain's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Symbiotic and PumpBTC. Direct peers are Solv Protocol, Lorenzo Protocol, pSTAKE Finance, Lombard Finance, Bedrock and Stride. Broad incumbents are EigenLayer and Karak Network.
Does BabylonChain have an API?
Yes. Babylon provides multiple APIs including: (1) Babylon Staking API for querying staking data and managing delegations, (2) Babylon gRPC APIs for blockchain interactions, (3) CometBFT APIs. The Staking API Service provides endpoints for staking operations, unbonding requests, and reward claiming. Hardware requirements include minimum 4GB RAM for the Staking Indexer and minimum 1GB RAM for the Staking API Service. Supports MongoDB cluster connections, Bitcoin node connections, and RabbitMQ for message queuing. Developer documentation is at docs.babylonlabs.io/api/staking-api/babylon-staking-api.
What industry is BabylonChain in?
BabylonChain's product category is Bitcoin Staking Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSADAHAG, Custodial Staking Providers, with a secondary code of FSADAFAB, Decentralized Lending Protocols (DeFi Money Markets). Its NAICS code is 523210 and its SIC code is 6200.