Chain Fusion
How to Send and Receive Bitcoin (ckBTC) Without Paying BTC Network Fees
Bitcoin L1 fees spike during congestion — sometimes costing more than the payment. ckBTC is native Bitcoin held by Internet Computer canisters via threshold cryptography. Transfers settle in seconds at IC speed, with no bridge contract and no wrapped-token custodian.
August 28, 2026 · 6 min read
What is ckBTC?
ckBTC is a 1:1 on-chain representation of Bitcoin on the Internet Computer. Real BTC sits in a canister-controlled address on the Bitcoin network. When you hold ckBTC, you hold a claim on that BTC — minted and burned entirely on the IC, not locked in a third-party bridge. How chain-key security works.
Why ckBTC beats L1 Bitcoin for payments
- Speed. ckBTC transfers finalize in seconds, not 10–60 minutes.
- Cost. IC cycle costs are fractions of a cent — not $5–$50 BTC fees.
- No bridge. Threshold signing replaces lock-and-mint bridge contracts.
- Redeemable. Burn ckBTC and receive real BTC on the Bitcoin network.
Zero-bridge Bitcoin explained
Traditional wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC) locks BTC in a custodian's multisig and issues a token on Ethereum. One compromised key drains billions. ckBTC uses chain fusion — the IC subnet collectively signs Bitcoin transactions with a key that never exists in one place. That is zero-bridge Bitcoin: no middleman contract, no custodian promise.
How to use ckBTC with ICPay
ICPay is built for ICP and ICRC-1 tokens today, with the Internet Computer's full chain-key token ecosystem expanding. Hold ICP in the best ICP wallet, and as ckBTC ICRC-2 support grows across IC apps, the same passkey login and username sends apply — no seed phrase, no BTC fee estimation.
Frequently asked questions
Is ckBTC real Bitcoin?
ckBTC is backed 1:1 by BTC held in canister-controlled addresses on the Bitcoin network. Burning ckBTC releases real BTC — it is not a synthetic or algorithmic token.
Do I pay BTC network fees on ckBTC transfers?
ckBTC transfers on the Internet Computer use IC cycles, not BTC miner fees. You only pay Bitcoin L1 fees when depositing or withdrawing to/from the Bitcoin network.
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