BRC-20 Indexer Upgrade Brings Ethereum-Like Features to Bitcoin
BRC-20, the primary token normal constructed immediately on Bitcoin’s base layer and indexers, has formally launched “BRC2.0” at Bitcoin block peak 912690, which came about Monday morning.
The improve embeds EVM (Ethereum Digital Machine) performance immediately into the BRC-20 core indexer, permitting builders to deploy Ethereum-style good contracts on Bitcoin, with out counting on bridges, oracles, or trusted intermediaries.
The transfer permits programmability to Bitcoin-native tokens, successfully turning BRC-20 property into composable and interoperable devices that may work together with EVM-compatible chains and scaling layers.
The BRC2.0 improve was developed by Finest In Slot, a key infrastructure participant within the Ordinals ecosystem, in collaboration with BRC20’s pseudonymous creator Domo and the Layer 1 Basis, the governance physique overseeing the protocol.
“Bitcoin meta-protocols like Ordinals, Runes, and BRC20 run on indexers, which perform like easy calculators,” Eril Binari Ezerel, CEO of Finest In Slot, shared in a press launch to Decrypt. “We upgraded this ‘calculator-style’ indexer with EVM—making BRC20 Turing full.”
From meme cash to modular apps
Since its launch in early 2023, BRC-20 has seen over $3 billion in asset worth traded. The milestone has been achieved with out elevating enterprise capital or receiving institutional assist.
Whilst exercise cooled in 2025, BRC-20 volumes remained dominant, registering 5,636 BTC (US$633 million) in on-chain quantity over the past six months, greater than double Runes and almost 5 occasions greater than conventional Ordinals inscriptions.
The brand new good contract performance expands what’s attainable for Bitcoin-native property.
Till now, these tokens have been primarily used for meme cash and speculative buying and selling, with few real-world functions attributable to Bitcoin’s restricted programmability.
“Adoption of Bitcoin native property has been stifled as a result of there aren’t any dApps on Bitcoin; it’s simply memes,” Ezerel added. “One of many essential objectives of BRC2.0 is to convey Ethereum’s extra various software ecosystem onto Bitcoin.”
BRC2.0 enters a rising panorama of programmable Bitcoin layers, together with the WASM-based Alkanes normal, which not too long ago surged to signify almost one-third of all meta-protocol associated transactions in Q3.
Comparisons to Runes
So what does this imply for the present state of the Bitcoin fungible tokens market?
“The Bitcoin token market struggles as a result of it’s virtually completely meme cash, Asher Corson, CIO of Unbroken Chain, the primary institution-backed liquid buying and selling fund within the Bitcoin Ordinals ecosystem, advised Decrypt.
“Programmability and DeFi will spark renewed curiosity, with earnings seemingly rotating into inscriptions, doubtlessly driving one other bull run for Bitcoin property,” he stated.
Corson additionally defined how the transfer compares to Runes and the way this locations BRC-20 in a separate class.
“The BRC-20 2.0 improve introduces programmability. Runes just isn’t programmable and is unlikely to ever be. This primarily limits Runes to meme cash. BRC-20 2.0, however, might be able to supporting a DeFi ecosystem.”
Bridging two giants
The mixing of EVM into BRC20’s core layer means builders can now construct dApps immediately secured by Bitcoin, whereas sustaining compatibility with Ethereum tooling. No bridges, no wrapped property—simply native composability.
“The holy grail is combining the 2 gold requirements: Bitcoin as essentially the most decentralized and safe community, and the EVM as essentially the most confirmed digital machine,” Domo, the creator of BRC20, stated. “The goal is to offer customers the Ethereum expertise of composability and programmability, however secured by Bitcoin.”
