FAQ: Self-custodial BTC Staking (Core chain)

Is my BTC safe?

Absolutely. You never hand your coins to anyone.

• You sign a locking transaction from your own Bitcoin wallet.

• Your BTC stays at that address under your keys.

• Core Chain simply verifies the lock on-chain to confirm it's valid for securing the network.

• You (and only you) can unlock it once the timelock expires.

There’s no bridge, no wrapped token, and no smart contract risk.

This locking mechanism follows Core chain's native BTC staking standard, end to end.

Does my BTC leave my wallet once staked?

No, your BTC always stays in your own Bitcoin wallet. When you stake, your BTC is locked using a self-custodial Bitcoin staking script that you control. You're not sending it to anyone else.

However, current wallet softwares have not been updated to display staked BTC balances, so it might not show up but rest assured, it’s there, securely locked and verifiable on-chain.

You are the only one who can unbond the stake and withdraw.

How are yields generated?

Your yield comes from two sources:

BTC staking rewards (Base yield): Your BTC contributes to Core Chain's Satoshi Plus Consensus, helping secure the Core chain and earning you yield in return.

Dual-staking rewards (Boosts): Core Chain offers additional incentives when BTC and CORE are staked together. Through b14g Merge Marketplace, your BTC can be matched with CORE stakers to earn these extra rewards, boosting your APY without requiring you to hold CORE.

What is b14g Merge Marketplace?

The b14g Merge Marketplace is an on-chain coordination layer that connects BTC stakers and CORE stakers for dual-staking.

It solves a key problem in Core dual-staking: most users only hold one asset (either BTC or CORE), but dual-staking requires both. The marketplace bridges this gap by allowing:

• BTC stakers to list their BTC lock as an open order.

• CORE stakers to match those orders with their CORE stake.

Once matched, both sides share boosted dual-staking rewards.

In short, even if you only hold BTC or only hold CORE, the Merge Marketplace lets you earn dual-staking yield without needing both assets.

Is there a minimum or maximum stake?

• Minimum: 0.01 BTC — any less won’t even cover the network fees.

• Maximum: No upper limit—but putting a huge stake into a single validator can dilute your yield—every delegator on that validator shares the same reward pool, so more BTC there means a thinner slice for you.

Pro tip for large holders:

• Divide it up. Break your BTC into a few smaller locks and spread them across different validators. That keeps your rewards higher.

• Hit top yield tiers faster. Every lock becomes its own merge order on b14g Merge Marketplace; smaller lock need less CORE to reach the best dual-staking yield tier.