As the curtain falls on the inaugural BitcoinFi Accelerator, we’re thrilled to look back on what the Bitcoin-focused teams have learned and applied to their products. Every workshop was carefully constructed to support the teams' goals of innovating and growing Bitcoin.

Sign up for Demo Day to see what the teams have been working on over the past six weeks. Each team will share how their project supports Bitcoin’s role in decentralized finance, social networks, and beyond.

A Primer on the BitcoinFi Accelerator

The BitcoinFi Accelerator launched on September 27, led by top crypto VCs BoostVC and Draper Associates. Along with key sponsorships from Arkham, Keyrock, Maestro, Starkware, and Trust Machines, the cast of mentors provided industry-best support for the accelerator teams.

To engage directly with potential applicants, we hosted events, including an impactful session at the BTC Conference in Amsterdam, attended by 205 participants, and two Twitter Spaces featuring leaders like Maestro, Arch, Trust Machines, and Thesis. These efforts culminated in a strong pool of applications by October 23.

The Applicant Pool:

The accelerator received over 200 applications spanning various verticals:

  • DeFi & Infrastructure: 78%
  • SocialFi & AI: 22%

Applicants ranged from wireframes to mainnet-ready stages:

  • Wireframe: 12%
  • Alpha: 15%
  • Beta: 16%
  • Testnet: 17%
  • Mainnet: 40%

From this pool, 47 teams advanced to Phase One interviews. By October 29, 8 outstanding teams were selected for the first batch. Each received $150,000 in funding, totaling $1.2M in upfront investment.

A Program Designed for Growth

The six-week program began on November 4 with a Kick-Off featuring Adam Draper, Tim Draper, and Matt Luongo. Teams participated in a hybrid structure that concluded with an in-person week at Draper University in San Mateo.

Key Program Features:

Speaker Sessions:

  • 36 sessions covering Bitcoin development, growth strategies, legal guidance, and fundraising.
  • Each session featured 30-45 minutes of insights, followed by Q&A.

Mentorship:

  • 28 mentors offered office hours and 1:1 sessions, providing guidance in technical development, go-to-market strategies, and capital raising.
  • 8 dedicated mentors provided ongoing hands-on support.

Demo Day

The journey culminates in the much-anticipated Demo Day, where these 8 exceptional teams will showcase the projects they’ve been building. From decentralized financial tools to social applications, each project represents a step forward in Bitcoin’s evolution.

Stay tuned for updates from Demo Day as we celebrate the achievements of our first batch and look forward to the future of BitcoinFi.

Stay connected and continue supporting the vision of BitcoinFi by signing up for the Thesis newsletter to receive our updates and explore how you can participate in shaping the next phase of Bitcoin innovation.

About the Teams

Sats.Terminal

Sats.Terminal (@SatsTerminal) is an aggregation protocol tailored for the Bitcoin ecosystem. It simplifies Bitcoin staking and trading with a DEX aggregator for optimal swaps, a bridge aggregator to minimize fees, and a staking aggregator to automate rewards. Focused on Bitcoin-specific data and analytics, the platform addresses challenges like complex UIs and insufficient liquidity.

With 19,500+ waitlist signups, 23,000 community members, and integrations with major Runes marketplaces and wallets, Sats.Terminal aims to generate revenue through transaction fees. The team is part of Core Foundation’s Core Commit Program and plans to launch its yield aggregator beta next quarter.
Website

NōME

NōME (@nomenft) is a decentralized social art marketplace built on Bitcoin. It combines a custodial wallet, NFT marketplace, educational platform, and social media into a single app. It empowers users with transparency in art transactions and tools to trade NFTs, build communities, and learn blockchain.

NōME takes a 2% transaction fee and has sold out its “Globe” NFT collection for early app access. The team of artists and developers has experience in blockchain ecosystems.
Website

Torram

Torram (@Torram_xyz) is building a decentralized oracle network to support compliant, scalable DeFi infrastructure on Bitcoin. The network inscribes data directly to Bitcoin L1, enabling applications for Bitcoin L2s, RWAs, stablecoins, and NFTs. With 35+ dApps on its waitlist, Torram plans to launch its network infrastructure soon.
Website

Coffer Network

Coffer Network (@CofferNetwork) is developing a programmable smart account infrastructure for Bitcoin, targeting multi-sig functionality and seamless interoperability between Bitcoin L1 and L2. It plans revenue streams from yield vault fees, staking rewards, and transaction fees.

With over 200 users and funding from notable investors, the team is part of Core Foundation’s Core Commit Program and continues to advance its alpha-stage development.
Website

Magnolia

Magnolia (@joinMagnolia) offers a compliant custodial infrastructure for Bitcoin and crypto assets in the U.S., focusing on Custodian-as-a-Service for DeFi builders, wallets, and exchanges. The platform addresses custody and compliance challenges, with plans for regulatory licensing and Lightning Network integration.

Led by veterans from Fold and Swan, Magnolia aims to establish itself as a trusted solution for Bitcoin custody.
Website

Vermilion

Vermilion (vermilion.place) is an onchain social network on Bitcoin, prioritizing economic actions over engagement metrics for content discovery. Using ordinals fosters censorship-resistant media with features like content curation and tools for exploring ordinals. Vermilion’s roadmap includes user profiles, trading infrastructure, and a content amplification system called “Boosts.”
Website

Bitcoin Derby

Bitcoin Derby (@BitcoinDerby) is an onchain fantasy sports platform powered by Bitcoin. It ensures transparent and decentralized gameplay with features for joining leagues, placing bets, and winning Bitcoin. The team is working on staking, lending, and betting infrastructure while building a Bitcoin-native racing game.
Website

Sati

Sati (@HolaSati) is a P2P payment network for low-cost transfers via WhatsApp and Bitcoin Lightning Network. It targets unbanked populations and high remittance fees in emerging markets. With a freemium model and over 9,000 users, Sati’s LATAM-based team has strong startup experience.
Website