1/ There's more than one way to build on Bitcoin and not all of them are trying to be Ethereum with extra steps. @citrea_xyz @ArchNtwrk @BotanixLabs

2/ Citrea, Arch, Botanix - they each interact with the Bitcoin base layer differently and all aim to bring smart contract functionality in their own way. 

Some inscribe proofs, some don't bridge at all, some checkpoint EVM into BTC.

3/ This thread breaks down how they work - no rankings, no fanboying, just technical differences.

4/ 🍋 @citrea_xyz is a zk-rollup built directly on top of Bitcoin - no alt L1s, no separate chain. 

It runs a type 2 zkEVM using RISC Zero, meaning you can write Solidity and compile it straight in.

5/ All state diffs and batch proofs are inscribed into Bitcoin. 

No reliance on off-chain storage. 

Users can also inscribe forced transactions if the sequencer ignores them.

6/ Citrea's bridging works through a BitVM-powered light client (called Clementine). 

The state is tracked by anchoring root hashes into Bitcoin.

10/ 🕷 @BotanixLabs is a full EVM chain that anchors to Bitcoin. 

You write Solidity, connect with MetaMask, and deploy - feels familiar.

11/ What’s different is the checkpointing: Botanix commits EVM block state to Bitcoin at intervals.

It skips inscriptions - data availability remains off-chain.

12/ The BTC↔️EVM bridge is protocol-native and doesn’t rely on wrapped assets.

 Security comes from a PoS validator set.

13/ 📦 Data availability:
• Citrea: Compressed state diffs, on-chain in BTC 
• Arch: Final state root only, no full DA 
• Botanix: Off-chain DA, Bitcoin used for checkpoints

14/ 🔐 Security model:
• Citrea = zk proofs + BitVM + forced txs 
• Arch = threshold signatures + rollback awareness
• Botanix = PoS finality + BTC checkpoints (no zk yet)

15/ 🛠 Dev experience:
• Citrea → EVM stack secured by Bitcoin blockspace 
• Arch → Native BTC scripting with custom VM 
• Botanix → Standard EVM flow (Solidity, MetaMask, Hardhat)

16/ 📍 Anchoring to Bitcoin:
• Citrea: Inscribes every batch proof 
• Arch: Anchors root state hashes 
• Botanix: Periodically checkpoints EVM state

17/ 🗺 Roadmaps:
• Citrea: Lightning integration, volition, atomic swaps, sequencer decentralization 
• Arch: Validator expansion, more parallelism 
• Botanix: ZK bridge infra, sequencer decentralization

18/ There's no clear winner - but that’s not the point. 

Each protocol explores a different way to extend what Bitcoin can secure. 

We’ll be keeping an eye on how they evolve - and what they unlock next.

Decentralized sequencing is on the roadmap.

7/ ⚪️ @ArchNtwrk doesn't use rollups, wrapped assets or sidechains. 

You send a Bitcoin transaction - and that alone triggers smart contract execution in a dedicated off-chain VM.

8/ Once execution is complete, the result is committed back to Bitcoin. 

Arch handles Bitcoin reorgs with rollback-and-reapply logic.

9/ Validation happens through FROST + ROAST multisig - no zk, just multi-party coordination. 