Antpool, Fireblocks and more join Botanix validator federation as founding team reduces control over Bitcoin Layer 2

Botanix Labs, the protocol research team behind the Bitcoin scaling layer Botanix, has transitioned into a federated model and announced the addition of 16 independent node operators, including heavy-hitters like Antpool, Fireblocks, Galaxy, Hashkey Cloud, and Kiln, among others. 

In practical terms, Botanix is "now fully removed from all operational responsibilities" with governance decisions being made by the federation, Botanix Labs co-founder and CEO Willem Schroé told The Block in a direct message. The end goal is to onboard "hundreds of nodes" and allow anyone in the world to spin up a validator as part of a "dynamic federation."

"With this launch, Botanix becomes the first and only Bitcoin-based blockchain that is decentralized from the start — meaning no single entity, including Botanix Labs, can unilaterally influence or control the network," Schroé said. "If Botanix disappeared tomorrow, users would still have full custodial access to their Bitcoin. No one, including us, can censor or seize funds."

The move comes ahead of a planned mainnet launch later this quarter. Schroé noted that decentralizing through a federated model introduces “operational complexity and development overhead” for future developments, "but that complexity is necessary to build real trust with users and especially Bitcoiners."

Botanix is a Bitcoin Layer 2 scaling solution that introduces Ethereum-compatible smart contract functionality through the so-called Spiderchain, a concept introduced in 2022. It uses a decentralized “web” of multisig wallets and a proof-of-stake consensus model to enable more complex transactions and DeFi activity directly on Bitcoin, without requiring changes to the base layer.

The Spiderchain is designed to randomly select validators so that every Bitcoin block is associated with a newly created multisig, thereby separating bitcoin "the asset" from Bitcoin "the blockchain" and enhancing security.

Running a node

"Botanix received interest from over 50 potential candidates" to join as validators, Schroé said. "Some of the selected partners had existing relationships with the team or ecosystem (either through prior collaborations or aligned research) but many did not. The goal was to create a diverse, trustworthy, and independent Federation, not just a circle of familiar faces."

"We selected our first 16 Federation partners based on two core principles: security and decentralization,” he added. “In addition to in-depth security due diligence and analysis of all node operators, Botanix prioritized entities with strong reputations in cryptographic infrastructure, a proven ability to run secure, reliable nodes, and a globally distributed footprint."

The team hopes to begin further expanding the validator set within the next six months. Running a Botanix node is currently a technically sophisticated and potentially expensive process, with variable costs. Schroé noted that "running a Botanix node requires robust hardware, similar to what you’d see for high-performance Ethereum validators or rollup sequencers."

"While Botanix nodes will always require more resources than a Bitcoin full node, this is a necessary tradeoff to unlock smart contract functionality on Bitcoin. Performance and reliability are core to the experience Botanix is enabling, and we believe these costs are acceptable for serious infrastructure participants in a Bitcoin-native ecosystem," Schroé said.