Bloq CEO: Bitcoin should be viewed as the foundation for secure cross-chain infrastructure

Author: Jeff Garzik, CoinDesk; Compiler: Wuzhu, Golden Finance

Bridges have always presented serious security risks, especially when connecting the two largest blockchains, Bitcoin and Ethereum. These ecosystems remain largely isolated from each other, and cross-chain bridges have been repeatedly hacked, resulting in billions of dollars in losses. We need a new approach - leveraging Bitcoin's strong security to create non-custodial asset transfers between chains.

Current bridges often rely on centralized components and cryptographic systems that introduce single points of failure. When these bridges are attacked, user funds are immediately at risk. Instead of addressing the root causes, the industry has focused on increasingly complex solutions that only add more attack vectors. This approach does not address the fundamental security vulnerabilities.

Bitcoin's proof-of-work consensus has a decade-long record of reliability. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, we should look to Bitcoin as the foundation for secure cross-chain infrastructure. While some argue that Ethereum’s programmability makes it more suitable for cross-chain activities, its complexity has led to a number of vulnerabilities, particularly in bridges and layer 2 solutions built on Ethereum.

That being said, Ethereum’s flexibility is valuable for innovation and its role should not be diminished. But Bitcoin’s proven security model is essential when it comes to protecting billions of dollars in cross-chain assets. By anchoring cross-chain tunnels to Bitcoin’s blockchain through mechanisms like Proof of Proof (PoP), we can create a system that inherits Bitcoin’s attack resistance without modifying its core protocol.

This approach can enable secure, trustless asset transfers by using Bitcoin scripts and contracts to lock and unlock cross-chain assets. While Bitcoin’s scripting language may be limited, it has been rigorously tested and remains a solid foundation. Innovations like BitVM further demonstrate how Bitcoin’s security can be extended to support complex cross-chain interactions.

Some have argued that Bitcoin is too slow or too inflexible for cross-chain infrastructure. However, in blockchain systems, speed and complexity often come at the expense of security. Bitcoin’s simplicity is a feature, not a flaw, making it an ideal trust anchor for cross-chain tunnels.

By periodically publishing state roots to Bitcoin, other chains can inherit Bitcoin’s security robustness, creating a scalable and secure foundation for cross-chain interoperability. This will allow other networks to benefit from Bitcoin’s security without requiring changes to Bitcoin itself.

Building secure cross-chain infrastructure will require collaboration between developers from different ecosystems, as well as new standards and practices. But the reward — enabling secure, trustless interoperability between Bitcoin and Ethereum — makes the effort worthwhile.

It’s time to stop viewing Bitcoin and Ethereum as competitors and instead view them as complementary parts of a broader ecosystem. By combining the security of Bitcoin with the programmability of Ethereum, we can build a more secure and powerful blockchain network, and cross-chain tunnels can provide a better alternative to the fragile bridges of the past.