SatLayer Developer Documentation
Welcome to the SatLayer developer documentation for BVS developers and operators! The documentation here is designed to help you understand how to build and operate Bitcoin Validated Services on the SatLayer platform.
If you are a Bitcoin restaker looking to learn more about how to restake your Bitcoin assets, please refer to the SatLayer Staking App documentation instead.
What is SatLayer?
SatLayer is a shared security platform designed to leverage Bitcoin as the primary security collateral. SatLayer enables Bitcoin restakers to secure any type of dApp or protocol as a Bitcoin Validated Service (BVS).
SatLayer generates rewards by staking wrapped Bitcoin or Bitcoin LSTs to secure BVS applications. These BVS applications distribute their tokens as rewards to Bitcoin restakers who provide collateral, and operators who help with the validation.
By expanding the ways Bitcoin can be used, SatLayer helps Bitcoin maximize its potential as a reward-generating asset.
Extending Bitcoin cryptoeconomic security
At the core of SatLayer is the concept of Bitcoin Validated Services, which are applications or protocols secured by staked Bitcoin assets. BVSs rely on economic incentives and risk mechanisms to discourage malicious behavior in off-chain processes.
Each BVS enforces a set of “slashing conditions” either off-chain or on an on-chain smart contract. When a slashing condition is met, node operators who violate these rules have a portion or all of their stake confiscated. BVS developers have considerable flexibility in managing these slashing conditions and outcomes — slashed assets can be redirected by Vault restakers or permanently burned by sending them to a null address.
Key participants in the SatLayer ecosystem
The SatLayer ecosystem consists of the following participants:
-
Bitcoin restakers enhance cryptoeconomic security by depositing and restaking their Bitcoin assets, delegating them to node operators. If a node operator acts maliciously, these assets face the risk of being slashed, reinforcing cryptoeconomic security. In exchange, Bitcoin restakers earn rewards. Bitcoin restakers can currently restake wrapped Bitcoin and specific Bitcoin LSTs through the SatLayer Staking App.
-
Bitcoin Validated Services (BVS) developers can address the cold-start problem, where new services and protocols are initially insecure — by launching services secured through SatLayer secured using staked Bitcoin. These services, called Bitcoin Validated Services, derive their security from the amount of Bitcoin backing them (i.e staked Bitcoin).
-
Operators are responsible for running nodes to validate BVSs, using stakes delegated to them by Bitcoin restakers. In exchange for providing the validation service, computing resources, and expertise required to run the node operator software required for validation (where required), these node operators take a portion of the rewards as their fee.
Main Features
Some of the main SatLayer features include the following:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Vaults | The primary interface for users to deposit assets, receive shares, and withdraw assets when needed. |
| Services | Applications or protocols that utilize the SatLayer ecosystem for validation and security. |
| Operators | Operators are the validators, infrastructure providers, and operational backbone of the ecosystem. |
| Programmable Slashing | A programmable interface for services to execute slashing to penalize malicious behavior or perform defaulting swaps. |
| Rewards | A system for services to distribute rewards to operators and restakers, ensuring fair and regular compensation for their contributions. |
