Rootstock launches Atlas to simplify crypto bridging

Rootstocklabs launched Atlas on April 15, 2026. The interface lets users bridge bitcoin (on-chain and via the Lightning Network), ether, USDC, USDT and other tokens into the Rootstock layer-two network from a single workflow.

Atlas combines multiple bridge options and supports ten assets in one user flow. A user picks an asset and a destination and the interface ranks routing options by estimated speed and cost before handing the transaction to the appropriate bridge or swap system. The design removes the need for users to compare separate bridges or perform multiple wallet steps.

Institutional custody integrations available at launch include Fordefi and Utila. Cobo and Fireblocks are listed as coming soon.

Rootstocklabs said the interface hides routing complexity while preserving self-custody and security. The company positioned Atlas for both everyday users and institutional users who need custody support and simpler onboarding.

Rootstock is an EVM-compatible Bitcoin layer-two that has operated since 2018. The network is secured through merge-mined proof-of-work that represents more than 80% of Bitcoin’s hashrate. Rootstock uses the Solidity programming language and reports more than $269 million in total value locked across over 200 deployed applications, including Sushiswap, Layerzero, Oku and Money on Chain. The bitcoin-native finance market was valued at $4.7 billion in Q1 2026.

At launch, Atlas supports BTC on-chain and Lightning routes, plus ETH, USDC, USDT and other tokens. Planned components such as Union Bridge, a trust-minimized BTC bridge powered by BitVMX, are expected to plug into Atlas without changing the user-facing workflow. Rootstocklabs also plans near-term support for EVM-compatible chains Arbitrum and Polygon so Atlas can route assets across more networks.

A wallet-agnostic software development kit for developers is in progress to allow third-party apps to embed Atlas as an onboarding layer. Rootstock’s native tokens include rBTC, a bitcoin-pegged asset used for gas and transactions on the chain, and RIF, which grants access to services in the Rootstock ecosystem.

Adrian Eidelman, co-founder of Rootstocklabs, commented, “For too long, Bitcoin’s role in decentralized finance has been defined by its limitations rather than its potential. Atlas gives anyone, from a first-time user to a major institution, an easy, trusted way to put bitcoin to work without compromising the security and self-custody principles core to Bitcoin’s ethos.”