Sovryn — Borrow Against Bitcoin at 0% Interest
The Sovryn platform lets you unlock liquidity from your BTC without selling a single satoshi — completely non-custodial, governed on-chain, and open to anyone.
Open the App Learn moreHow it works
Three straightforward steps separate you from a Bitcoin-backed line of credit. No bank. No form. No waiting period.
Connect your wallet
MetaMask, Defiant, and most EVM wallets work. Point them at the RSK network (Chain ID 30) and you are ready.
Bridge BTC to RBTC
Use the RSK two-way peg or the Sovryn Bob Gateway to convert BTC to RBTC — a 1:1 Bitcoin-backed token on RSK.
Deposit collateral
Open a Zero vault, deposit RBTC, and mint ZUSD or DLLR stablecoin. A single origination fee around 0.5%–1% is all you pay.
Earn or govern
Supply assets to lending pools for yield, stake SOV in Bitocracy, or provide liquidity — the choice is yours.
Why Sovryn
Honestly, there are a handful of Bitcoin lending options out there. Here is what makes the Sovryn approach different.
Truly 0% interest
Unlike variable-rate platforms or models inspired by MakerDAO's stability fee, Sovryn's Zero protocol charges no ongoing interest — only a fixed one-time fee at origination.
Bitcoin-native security
RSK is merge-mined by Bitcoin miners, giving the chain roughly 50% of Bitcoin's own hash rate backing it. Your collateral sits on infrastructure secured by the world's most proven proof-of-work network.
Full self-custody
No company holds your keys. Smart contracts govern every interaction — liquidations, repayments, withdrawals. The protocol ran live through 2022 and 2023 market stress without a custodial failure.
On-chain governance
Every major parameter — fees, new markets, risk ceilings — is decided by SOV stakers in Bitocracy. Stake longer, earn more voting power. No multisig backdoors.
Key features
Zero Protocol
Borrow ZUSD against RBTC at 0% interest. Positions stay open indefinitely — repay when you want, not when a rate spike forces you to.
DLLR Stablecoin
DLLR is a meta-stablecoin backed by a basket including ZUSD and MYNT. Supply DLLR to lending pools and earn around 5–6% APR from borrowers.
SOV Staking
Lock SOV for up to 3 years to maximise your voting weight and earn a share of trading fees, origination fees, and borrowing interest — currently up to 15.92% APR.
Spot & Margin Trading
Sovryn Alpha offers both spot order-book trading and up to 5× margin on selected pairs. All trades settle on-chain via AMM and order-book hybrids.
Origins Launchpad
Origins is Sovryn's cross-chain token launch platform. Projects raise capital directly from the Bitcoin DeFi community with vesting schedules enforced by smart contracts.
BOB Layer 2 Bridge
The Sovryn Bob Gateway connects to BOB, a hybrid Bitcoin Layer 2 built on the Optimism OP Stack. Moving assets between chains takes minutes, not days.
Open-source contracts
Every contract is on GitHub under the DistributedCollective organisation. Developers can fork, audit, or build integrations using Forge (Foundry) or Hardhat locally.
Sovryn by the numbers
These figures come from on-chain data as of early 2025. They shift daily — check the Stats page for live figures.
For context on how decentralised stablecoins work, see Wikipedia's DeFi article. For smart-contract development standards, the Ethereum token standards docs are a solid reference — including ERC-721 and its siblings.
FAQ
Quick answers. For deeper dives, visit the full FAQ page or the info section.
What is Sovryn?
Sovryn is a non-custodial Bitcoin DeFi platform built on RSK, letting you borrow ZUSD or DLLR at 0% interest against BTC collateral, lend assets for yield, and vote on protocol decisions through Bitocracy.
How do I get started with Sovryn?
Connect a compatible wallet like MetaMask or Defiant, bridge BTC to RSK, then visit the Sovryn dapp to open a line of credit or supply assets to lending pools.
Is Sovryn safe and audited?
Sovryn's smart contracts have been audited by multiple independent firms. The protocol runs on RSK, an EVM-compatible sidechain secured by Bitcoin merge-mining, and all code is open-source on GitHub.
What blockchains does Sovryn support?
Sovryn primarily operates on RSK (Rootstock), an EVM-compatible Bitcoin sidechain. A newer product line is being rolled out on BOB, a hybrid Layer 2 using Optimism's OP Stack.
Can I use Sovryn if I only hold BTC?
Yes. Bridge your BTC to RBTC via the RSK two-way peg, then deposit as collateral in Sovryn's Zero protocol to borrow ZUSD — all without selling your Bitcoin.
What is the native governance token?
SOV is Sovryn's governance and staking token. Stake SOV for up to 15.92% APR and earn a share of protocol revenue while participating in Bitocracy votes.
How does Sovryn compare to MakerDAO?
Like MakerDAO, Sovryn issues a stablecoin backed by crypto collateral. Unlike MakerDAO, Sovryn focuses exclusively on Bitcoin as collateral and offers 0% interest loans with only a one-time origination fee.
Why should I choose Sovryn over a centralised lender?
You keep full custody of your funds. There is no KYC, no counterparty risk from a centralised intermediary, and the protocol cannot freeze or seize your collateral — the smart contracts govern everything.
What fees does Sovryn charge?
Zero protocol charges a small one-time origination fee (typically 0.5–1%) and 0% ongoing interest. Lending pool rates and trading fees vary by market conditions and are published on the Stats page.
Does Sovryn support NFTs or ERC-721 tokens?
The core Sovryn platform is focused on lending, borrowing, and governance. ERC-721 NFT functionality is not a primary feature today, though the underlying RSK chain is EVM-compatible and supports the standard.
How is Sovryn governed?
Sovryn uses Bitocracy, an on-chain governance system. Stake SOV tokens to gain voting power proportional to your stake duration — longer lock-ups earn greater influence over protocol upgrades and treasury allocation.
Can I build on top of Sovryn using Forge or other tooling?
Yes. Because RSK is EVM-compatible, developers can write and test smart contracts with standard tooling including Forge (Foundry), Hardhat, and Ethers.js, then deploy integrations directly against Sovryn's open contracts.