Recently, while browsing Twitter, I came across a foreign DeFi blogger discussing Katana, claiming it’s a project that offers up to 48% annual interest on USDT/USDC even before its TGE, with the condition that funds must be locked until before 2026. Although it sounds a bit crazy, I was indeed intrigued and took a look at some previous content from Lombard, discovering that they have a close relationship with Katana! In short, this is not just another cross-chain integration for BTC. Lombard has become the sole issuer of BTC on Katana, introducing two new assets: ※ BTCK: Decentralized BTC mapping ※ LBTC: BTC LST with built-in yield Compared to centralized options like WBTC and BTCB, these two new tokens are thoroughly embedded in the underlying structure of Katana. In the future, when it comes to on-chain scheduling and settlement, the default will be to use them rather than some alternative. This is also why Katana has directly signed Lombard as its sole partner; they want BTC to be a foundational layer that grows together with the ecosystem, not just an add-on! Interestingly, Katana is not a standalone chain; it is actually the DeFi and liquidity hub of the larger Agglayer network. Agglayer itself connects to many specialized L2s, such as IoTeX (DePIN), Wirex (payments), Sentient (AI), Moonveil (gaming), and more, with a bunch of use cases still in incubation. So, from this perspective, Lombard is not just launching a new chain but has secured a strategic position: to be the official entry point for BTC liquidity within the entire Agglayer/@0xPolygon ecosystem! For Lombard, this is actually quite smart: they don’t have to connect to dozens of L2s themselves but can instead focus on a central hub that will distribute BTC to all downstream. As Katana’s liquidity expands, the usage of LBTC and BTCK will also rise! If you’re like me and considering an early asset allocation (or trying to catch a future Katana airdrop), this could be a relatively rare opportunity. The lock-up period is long, but sometimes, high interest and early dividends require patience!