Bitcoin’s layer-2 ecosystem is growing, with institutions interested in BTC-denominated yields. For this reason, Hex Trust added stacks and sBTC to its offering.

Bitcoin’s (BTC) DeFi ecosystem is expanding, and institutions are taking notice. On Thursday, April 10, digital asset custodian Hex Trust added Stacks (STX) and sBTC to its crypto offering. This means that investors will be able to gain exposure to the growing Bitcoin layer-2 ecosystem.

Investors will be able to earn staking yields in Bitcoin terms through sBTC, which runs on the Stacks Bitcoin layer-2 network. According to Giorgia Pellizzari, Head of Custody at Hex Trust, institutions will benefit from regulated access to Bitcoin DeFi.

“Hex Trust’s support for STX and sBTC aligns with our mission to empower institutional clients with secure, compliant access to Bitcoin’s evolving utility,” Giorgia Pellizzari, Hex Trust

Hex Trust targets Asia with Bitcoin DeFi expansion

The release coincides with growing demand for Bitcoin in Asia and the UAE—key markets that Hex Trust focuses on. Kyle Ellicott, Executive Director at the Stacks Asia Foundation, explained that Hex Trust’s support will boost access to Bitcoin DeFi investments.

“Hex Trust’s expanded support strengthens the infrastructure for Bitcoin DeFi in Asia and globally. Their integration of sBTC and STX underscores the maturing ecosystem around Bitcoin’s programmable future,” Kyle Ellicott, Stacks

For institutions, holding crypto assets directly can be difficult due to security and regulatory concerns. As a result, many rely on exchange-traded funds or custodians like Hex Trust to gain exposure to crypto assets.

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sBTC generates yields through DeFi protocols, where it is used for lending, yield farming, and more. The yields are denominated in Bitcoin, even though Bitcoin itself does not generate staking rewards. Stacks and sBTC are part of a growing ecosystem of Bitcoin DeFi protocols that leverage Bitcoin’s decentralization while offering more functionality than the base chain.

Read more: What is the Lightning Network? Bitcoin’s L2 solution