Alpen Brings Dollar Liquidity to Bitcoin with USDC Integration

Alpen Labs is developing a platform that will allow Bitcoin holders to borrow dollars without selling their cryptocurrency. The company plans to integrate Circle-issued USDC and Circle's Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) when its mainnet launches later this year.

The integration of USDC will provide the dollar side of lending and trading markets built around native BTC, giving users access to dollar liquidity while retaining exposure to Bitcoin. Alpen's architecture is designed to support these applications without moving the underlying Bitcoin off-chain.

The company was founded in 2022 by four MIT alumni, led by CEO Simanta Gautam. It has raised $19.1 million across two funding rounds and has backers including Ribbit Capital and Castle Island Ventures.