Bitcoin-native DeFi platform OP_NET launched a “SlowFi” stack that operates directly on the base layer using standard BTC transactions. Co-founder Danny Plainview states the model avoids bridges or separate gas tokens, with users paying only Bitcoin network fees. The launch occurs amid a debate within the Bitcoin community about whether DeFi uses of block space constitute spam or a legitimate fee market, drawing criticism from some maximalists.
OP_NET is launching a decentralized finance stack on Bitcoin called “SlowFi.” The platform uses standard Bitcoin transactions and native BTC fees instead of bridges or a separate gas token.
OP_NET co-founder Frederic Fosco, who goes by Danny Plainview, outlined the approach. Plainview told Cointelegraph that every transaction is “just a Bitcoin transaction with BTC as the only gas asset.”
The model supports token swaps without wrapped BTC. A swap typically costs between $1 and $2, rising to $10-$20 when blocks are congested.
The launch intersects with a growing internal debate about Bitcoin’s use cases. Some proponents argue DeFi activity supports miner revenue as block subsidies decline.
Critics argue it brings Ethereum-style bloat to Bitcoin. In recent posts on X, some described the effort as an attempt to import foreign crypto infrastructure.
Other Bitcoin maximalists argued that expanding use cases makes proponents “sh*tcoiners” larping as Bitcoiners. Plainview pushed back against drawing moral lines around valid transactions.
He stated, “The whole point is that nobody controls it.” OP_NET enters a space populated by projects like RSK and Stacks.
RSK operates as a separate sidechain with its own gas token and a federated bridge. Stacks is a Bitcoin-anchored layer-2 that settles periodically to the main chain.
OP_NET distinguishes itself by keeping execution and fees directly on Bitcoin. Plainview bets users will accept slower transactions to stay on the base layer.
