Mezo and Anchorage Digital Set a New Standard for Bitcoin Finance

The strategic partnership will unlock institutional-grade support for BitcoinFi applications, backed by the trusted security of Anchorage Digital and its institutional-grade self-custody wallet Porto. 

Mezo & Anchorage Fulfill Hal Finney’s Vision

In 2010, Hal Finney wrote:

"[...]there is a very good reason for Bitcoin-backed banks to exist, issuing their own digital cash currency, redeemable for bitcoins." 

He saw early that Bitcoin’s base layer could not efficiently host every transaction, loan, or yield instrument, but that it could anchor them. His concept was a transparent banking system where Bitcoin serves as the reserve asset—verifiable, auditable, and immutable—supporting credit and liquidity without replacing Bitcoin’s core principles.

That system was impossible for fifteen years. There was no way to custody Bitcoin under banking supervision, no yield infrastructure built on verifiable contracts, and no legal structure for institutions to participate without sacrificing compliance or transparency. 

The primitives now exist.

Mezo x Anchorage Digital

Today, Mezo and Anchorage Digital are partnering to set a new standard for institutions and asset holders to participate in the Bitcoin finance ecosystem. 

Anchorage Digital, home to the first and only federally chartered crypto bank, brings a decade of trusted custodial services through its platform and its institutional-grade self-custody wallet, Porto. Mezo delivers institutional-grade yield opportunities through veBTC locking and borrowing capabilities via its native stablecoin MUSD.

This partnership delivers:

• Trusted custody: Lock BTC and collect rewards through Anchorage Digital’s secure custody platform and through their institutional-grade self-custody wallet Porto. Rewards are earned from Mezo network fees in BTC.
• Borrowing with secure self-custody: Borrow on Mezo with Anchorage Digital’s institutional-grade self-custody wallet, Porto.
• Transparent infrastructure: All positions verifiable onchain 24/7 on Mezo—no black boxes

Together, they form a comprehensive institutional stack, where custody, yield, and liquidity are all managed through Anchorage Digital’s industry-leading security. BTC holders no longer need to choose between accessing liquidity and rewards or the security of their underlying assets.

The system preserves Bitcoin’s self-sovereignty while extending its usability under industry-leading security standards.

Building the Tools to Bank on Yourself

The collaboration between Mezo and Anchorage Digital makes Finney’s blueprint executable.

Anchorage Digital delivers the institutional trust and security that enterprises require. Mezo brings the onchain banking, purpose-built for bitcoin, with transparent yield and borrowing capabilities. 

What's Coming Soon: Bitcoin Loans and Real Yield

veBTC Locking

Lock native BTC or tBTC for 6-30 days and earn yield from Mezo network fees paid in bitcoin. Longer lock periods earn higher rewards and will soon provide governance rights to influence protocol economics. 

Anchorage Digital clients will be the first to access Mezo’s bitcoin staking through Anchorage Digital's platform and through the self-custody wallet Porto in the coming weeks, with availability for all users following shortly thereafter.

MUSD Borrowing

Anchorage Digital clients can now borrow MUSD against bitcoin collateral at fixed rates starting at 1% APR** with 110% collateralization, allowing access to up to 90% of their bitcoin's value. Borrowing is available through Anchorage Digital’s self-custody wallet, Porto. 

There are no minimum payments and no fixed schedules — close a loan tomorrow or maintain it indefinitely at the same interest rate. In upcoming releases, veBTC will be usable as collateral to borrow MUSD, enabling self-repaying loan structures where bitcoin yield covers borrowing costs.

A Different Kind of Banking

For too long, bitcoin holders have faced an impossible choice: keep your bitcoin safe but unproductive, or chase yield and accept unacceptable risks. Wrapped tokens get hacked. Centralized lenders collapse. Black box strategies hide rehypothecation and leverage.

Mezo’s collaboration with Anchorage Digital links security and onchain verifiability into a single system. Holders can maintain bitcoin exposure while accessing liquidity. As a result, borrowing becomes an onchain collateral function, rather than an offchain credit agreement.

The Bottom Line

Hal Finney described this idea in 2010. Bitcoiners have been waiting fifteen years to see it built. It now exists.

Bitcoin banking—where bitcoin remains fully collateralized in its native form, where yield derives from verifiable network fees, and where borrowing does not depend on off-chain promises—is no longer conceptual. It is operational today through Mezo.

Get ready for the future of Bitcoin banking

Visit mezo.org to learn more about how to make your bitcoin more productive. Anchorage Digital clients can now access MUSD borrowing through the self-custody wallet, Porto. Locking BTC and collecting rewards will be available in the coming weeks, with broader availability planned for early 2025.

The system Hal Finney imagined is coming to life, only on Mezo.

Bank on yourself.

Important Disclosures

Features described are not yet available to all users. Anchorage Digital clients will receive priority access, with general availability subject to network conditions. Annual Percentage Yields (APY) for veBTC locking are variable, change daily based on network activity, and are not guaranteed. Yields derive from Mezo network fees paid in Bitcoin. Mezo is a permissionless platform and does not hold any regulatory or banking licenses, and is not insured by any governmental authority, including the FDIC. By interacting with the Mezo platform, you acknowledge that digital assets are volatile and you may lose your entire principal investment. Smart contract vulnerabilities could result in total loss of funds. MUSD borrowing requires overcollateralization with liquidation risk if collateral value falls. Neither Mezo nor Anchorage Digital guarantees against platform insolvency. This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Users should consult with qualified professionals before making any investment decisions. **1% APR* *Annual Percentage Rate. Fixed rate for lifetime of the loan.  Minimum loan $3,000. Requires 110% crypto collateral. Subject to collateral requirements. Platform fees may apply.