Deep Dive
1. eBTC Protocol Sunset (11 June 2025)
Overview: BadgerDAO halted development of its eBTC protocol, a Bitcoin-backed yield product, after failing to gain traction.
The decision followed a DAO Treasury Council review citing persistently low TVL and unsustainable revenue. While eBTC initially offered high DeFi-native BTC yields, it struggled with product-market fit. The codebase will transition to “deprecated state,” minimizing maintenance but keeping existing functionality operational.
What this means: This is neutral for BADGER because it reallocates resources from underperforming products but signals reduced innovation in Bitcoin DeFi tooling. Users retain access to eBTC, but no new features or optimizations are planned.
(Source)
2. Security Audit References (7 December 2021)
Overview: QuickSwap’s 2021 AMA highlighted BadgerDAO’s security approach after a major exploit, emphasizing contract-level safeguards.
While not a direct code update, BadgerDAO’s infrastructure was noted for using “battle-tested code” with no wallet access for developers. This philosophy likely persists in current code governance, though no recent audits or vulnerability patches are documented.
What this means: This is mildly bullish for BADGER as it reflects a longstanding focus on security, though the absence of recent audits raises questions about ongoing rigor.
(Source)
Conclusion
BadgerDAO’s codebase changes reflect a pivot toward sustainability over expansion, with eBTC’s deprecation freeing resources but dampening ecosystem growth prospects. The project’s historical security-first ethos remains intact but lacks fresh validation.
Could renewed developer activity emerge around Bitcoin DeFi as market conditions shift?