Bitcoin DeFi Secures Significant Share of Hashtagrate in Q1

The latest report from Rootstock has shed light on the significant security claim made by Bitcoin DeFi in Q1. According to the data, 84.01% of Bitcoin's total hashrate contributed to securing its smart-contract layer during the quarter.

This means that a large share of Bitcoin's mining work was redirected towards securing other infrastructure without interrupting main operations. The figure is notable because it shows that merged mining can be a viable option for miners, allowing them to earn additional rewards from network fees without adding hardware or interrupting their primary business.

However, the report also highlights that miners saw little fee upside from this increased hashrate contribution. In fact, Rootstock's own table shows that the security base depends heavily on a small group of large pools, which could potentially lead to concentration risks.

The next test for Bitcoin DeFi will be to convert its strong security claim into regular economic activity, including fee revenue and usage metrics. If this can be achieved, it would demonstrate that merged mining is not just a niche technical option but a meaningful layer of security backed by major Bitcoin infrastructure.