Mezo, the Bitcoin Economic Layer developed by Thesis (the pioneering team behind Fold, Keep Network, and tBTC) and backed by $21 million from Pantera Capital and Multicoin Capital, has recorded thousands of staked native Bitcoins deposited into its early portal ahead of mainnet genesis.
Designed to make Bitcoin an active economic participant rather than dormant digital gold, Mezo introduces a high-throughput execution environment where Bitcoin serves as the primary currency for gas, security, and everyday decentralized finance.
Proof-of-HODL and the Matsnet Architecture
Traditional blockchains treat gas fees and staking as mechanisms detached from the underlying store of value. Mezo establishes a symbiotic relationship between long-term Bitcoin holders and network security:
- **Proof-of-HODL Consensus**: Users deposit Bitcoin and lock their capital for chosen time horizons. In return for securing the network, participants earn native yield and governance influence proportional to both the quantity and duration of locked BTC.
- **EVM Compatibility with Native BTC Gas**: Smart contracts deployed on Mezo operate on an EVM-compatible execution layer, but all transaction fees are denominated and paid natively in Bitcoin.
- **tBTC Canonical Bridge**: Mezo utilizes tBTCโthe decentralized, threshold-cryptography bridgeโguaranteeing that bridged Bitcoin is never dependent on centralized custodians or single points of failure.
"Bitcoin is the most valuable and pristine monetary asset in human history," said Matt Luongo, CEO of Thesis. "Mezo provides Bitcoiners with productive economic utility, enabling them to earn yield, pay fees, and access DeFi without ever surrendering ownership of their BTC."
The Mats Loyalty System and Genesis Allocation
Mezo operates the **Mats** points program, which tracks user commitments to the network.
Users earn Mats based on the amount of BTC or stablecoins deposited, the duration of their lockup commitment (with substantial multipliers for 9-month and 12-month locks), and referrals through community circles.
Actionable Strategy for Bitcoin Holders
- **Deposit BTC or tBTC**: Connect to the official Mezo portal and deposit native Bitcoin, tBTC, or approved yield assets.
- **Lockup Multipliers**: Select extended lockup terms to secure exponential Mats yield multipliers.
- **Interact with Partner Ecosystems**: Bridge testnet assets to emerging DeFi applications on the Mezo Matsnet testnet.
