Rootstock (RBTC): how it works, supply and reviews
In short
- Type
- EVM-compatible Bitcoin sidechain
- Maximum supply
- 21,000,000 rBTC exist from genesis; the Bridge holds the part not pegged in
- Risks and caveats
- The BTC behind rBTC depends on a 5-of-9 signer set; if a majority switch off their PowHSMs, peg-outs halt until emergency recovery.
- Checked
- 31 October 2026
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Key facts
- Ticker
- RBTC
- Official site
- rootstock.io
Key facts checked on 31 October 2026 against official sources.
What is Rootstock
Rootstock is an open-source, EVM-compatible Bitcoin sidechain secured by Bitcoin miners through merged mining. Bitcoin moves in and out through the PowPeg bridge and is used on Rootstock as rBTC, pegged 1:1 to BTC, which pays gas for smart contracts.
Network and consensus
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | EVM-compatible Bitcoin sidechain |
| Consensus | Proof of work via merged mining with Bitcoin |
| Block time | About 30 seconds; no new coins are minted |
| Bridge | PowPeg: peg-in after 100 Bitcoin blocks; peg-out signed after about 4,000 Rootstock blocks |
| Launched | Network and PowPeg live since early 2018 |
Supply and issuance
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Maximum supply | 21,000,000 rBTC exist from genesis; the Bridge holds the part not pegged in |
| Issuance | No new coins: rBTC is released 1:1 against BTC locked on Bitcoin |
What RBTC is used for
- rBTC pays gas for transactions and smart contracts
- rBTC is used in DeFi on Rootstock and can be redeemed for BTC through the PowPeg
- RIF is a separate utility and governance token of the ecosystem (covered on the RIF page)
Who develops and governs Rootstock
- Developer
- RootstockLabs is a core developer and also one of the PowPeg signers
- Signer changes
- A written protocol governs adding or removing PowPeg members: vote, one-week delay, then funds migration
- Signer rewards
- Pegnatories receive a share of Rootstock transaction fees
- Open source
- Node, PowPeg node and PowHSM firmware are on GitHub (rsksmart)
History
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2018 | Rootstock launches with a federation-run two-way peg. |
| 2020 | The community decides to evolve the federation into the PowPeg. |
| 24 June 2024 | A Bitcoinj bug halts PowPeg peg-ins and peg-outs until the Arrowhead 6.3.1 upgrade in July 2024. |
Security and audits
- PowHSMs sign only peg-outs backed by enough cumulative proof of work; not even a majority of signers can release BTC without a valid Bridge command.
- Firmware attestation lets anyone verify that signers run official firmware on genuine Ledger hardware.
- Rootstock states the PowPeg has had no security breaches or loss of funds since early 2018; it has a public bug bounty.
- In June-July 2024 a Bitcoinj bug halted peg-ins and peg-outs for about a month; Rootstock said no user funds were at risk.
Security incidents
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 24 June 2024 | Outage: A Bitcoinj bug stopped the Bridge contract from syncing past Bitcoin block 849,137, halting PowPeg peg-ins and peg-outs; fixed by the Arrowhead 6.3.1 network upgrade (RSKIP-436), activated on 24 July 2024. Funds returned: Rootstock said no user funds were at risk; pending peg operations were processed after the fix. | blog.rootstock.io |
Official RBTC contracts
| Network | Contract address |
|---|---|
| Rootstock | 0x0000000000000000000000000000000001000006 |
rBTC is the native asset of Rootstock; the Bridge precompile holds the rBTC not yet pegged in.
Risks and caveats
- The BTC behind rBTC depends on a 5-of-9 signer set; if a majority switch off their PowHSMs, peg-outs halt until emergency recovery.
- Peg-outs take about 4,000 Rootstock blocks before signing, so leaving via the PowPeg is slow.
- An emergency recovery multisig of three named parties can act after a timelock if signers go offline.
Official links
- Website: rootstock.io
- Docs: dev.rootstock.io
- PowPeg: rootstock.io/powpeg
- Block explorer: explorer.rootstock.io
- Source code: github.com/rsksmart
- PowPeg app: powpeg.rootstock.io
Questions and answers
What is Rootstock?
Rootstock (RSK) is an EVM-compatible Bitcoin sidechain secured by merged mining, where BTC moved through the PowPeg is used as rBTC.
Who holds the BTC behind rBTC?
It sits in a 5-of-9 Bitcoin multisig whose keys are kept inside PowHSMs run by nine members such as Xapo, Luxor, Sovryn and RootstockLabs; the HSMs sign only proof-of-work-backed peg-outs.
What is the supply of rBTC?
21 million rBTC exist from genesis; the Bridge releases them only 1:1 against BTC locked on Bitcoin.
Is Rootstock the same as RIF?
No. Rootstock is the sidechain with rBTC as gas; RIF is a separate ecosystem token.
When did Rootstock launch?
Rootstock and its peg have been live since early 2018; the federation became the PowPeg from 2020.
Sources
- Rootstock — Home
- Rootstock — PowPeg
- Rootstock Docs — Foundations
- Rootstock Docs — PowPeg
- Rootstock Docs — PowPeg security summary
- Rootstock Docs — PowPeg member updates
- Rootstock Docs — HSM firmware attestation
- Rootstock Docs — rBTC
- Rootstock Docs — Merged mining
- Rootstock Blog — Incident report: peg-in / peg-out outage on June 24th
- RSKIP-436 — Arrowhead 6.3.1
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