[Crypto projects](https://revain.org/projects/) › Rootstock # 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 ## Key facts - **Ticker**: RBTC - **Official site**: [rootstock.io](https://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](https://blog.rootstock.io/noticia/incident-report-rootstock-peg-in-peg-out-service-outage-on-june-24th/) | ## Official RBTC contracts | Network | Contract address | |---|---| | Rootstock | [0x0000000000000000000000000000000001000006](https://explorer.rootstock.io/address/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](https://rootstock.io/) - Docs: [dev.rootstock.io](https://dev.rootstock.io/) - PowPeg: [rootstock.io/powpeg](https://rootstock.io/powpeg/) - Block explorer: [explorer.rootstock.io](https://explorer.rootstock.io/) - Source code: [github.com/rsksmart](https://github.com/rsksmart/) - PowPeg app: [powpeg.rootstock.io](https://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](https://rootstock.io/) - [Rootstock — PowPeg](https://rootstock.io/powpeg/) - [Rootstock Docs — Foundations](https://dev.rootstock.io/concepts/foundations.md) - [Rootstock Docs — PowPeg](https://dev.rootstock.io/concepts/foundations/powpeg.md) - [Rootstock Docs — PowPeg security summary](https://dev.rootstock.io/concepts/foundations/powpeg/security-model.md) - [Rootstock Docs — PowPeg member updates](https://dev.rootstock.io/concepts/foundations/powpeg/member-updates.md) - [Rootstock Docs — HSM firmware attestation](https://dev.rootstock.io/concepts/foundations/powpeg/hsm-firmware-attestation.md) - [Rootstock Docs — rBTC](https://dev.rootstock.io/concepts/rbtc.md) - [Rootstock Docs — Merged mining](https://dev.rootstock.io/concepts/foundations/merged-mining.md) - [Rootstock Blog — Incident report: peg-in / peg-out outage on June 24th](https://blog.rootstock.io/noticia/incident-report-rootstock-peg-in-peg-out-service-outage-on-june-24th/) - [RSKIP-436 — Arrowhead 6.3.1](https://ips.rootstock.io/IPs/RSKIP436.html) ## More in this section - [Ocean Protocol (OCEAN)](https://revain.org/projects/ocean-protocol/) - [Orchid (OXT)](https://revain.org/projects/orchid/) - [Powerledger (POWR)](https://revain.org/projects/power-ledger/) - [Sia (SC)](https://revain.org/projects/siacoin/) - [Verge (XVG)](https://revain.org/projects/verge/) - [Zilliqa (ZIL)](https://revain.org/projects/zilliqa/) - [All Crypto projects →](https://revain.org/projects/) ## How voting works Votes are anonymous and carry no text. 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