The demand for Bitcoin yield strategies is increasing among institutions seeking liquidity without selling their assets. CEO Ryan Chow noted innovations like staking and recent projects, such as Solv’s Sharia-compliant yield product, are expanding Bitcoin’s use cases. Public companies are also increasing their BTC holdings significantly, which contributes to the evolving landscape of Bitcoin finance.
Demand for yield-generating strategies revolving around Bitcoin (BTC) is witnessing a robust surge, especially among institutions aiming to maintain liquidity without selling their crypto assets. This was highlighted by Ryan Chow, co-founder and CEO of Solv Protocol, during a discussion at the Token2049 conference in Dubai on May 1. He noted that institutional interest in Bitcoin yield products has markedly increased over the past few years, signalling a shift in how these entities engage with the cryptocurrency market.
Chow remarked that in the past, generating yield from Bitcoin seemed almost impossible. However, recent advancements, like staking via proof-of-stake (PoS) protocols and delta-neutral trading strategies, have paved the way for such opportunities. Innovations at both layer-1 and layer-2, including the platform Babylon, have contributed to the viability of these strategies—offering BTC holders a method to earn yield while bolstering security and liquidity for PoS networks.
“Bitcoin stands as the largest asset class available. This allows individuals to secure the network using staked Bitcoin, which we believe brings both utility and practical use cases to the forefront,” Chow expressed during the conference.
Chow also highlighted that many institutions gravitate towards Bitcoin primarily, due to its strong foothold in investment portfolios. After acquiring BTC, these entities typically lend it out to achieve liquidity while avoiding liquidation. Major companies like Coinbase are now providing opportunities to borrow against Bitcoin holdings, offering up to a million dollars, while lending platforms such as Aave and Compound facilitate quick borrowing solutions.
Appraising the positive influence of publicly traded firms like Strategy (formally MicroStrategy), Chow indicated that their actions have normalised Bitcoin as a treasury asset. “MSTR represents a successful derivatives use case based on Bitcoin. It’s quite a significant part of the Bitcoin finance ecosystem,” he added.
In an April report from crypto fund issuer Bitwise, it was noted that Bitcoin holdings among public companies increased by 16.1% in Q1 2025. The report indicated that public firms accumulated about 688,000 BTC by the end of the first quarter, reflecting an addition of roughly 95,431 BTC within that period. The overall value of these Bitcoin assets also climbed approximately 2.2%, reaching a total worth of $56.7 billion, with each BTC priced at $82,445.
Looking into the future, Chow expects ecosystems like Solana to welcome over 100,000 BTC into their folds. He acknowledged the potential for more use cases to emerge in the crypto realm. Chow also took time to discuss Solv’s recent introduction of a Sharia-compliant Bitcoin yield product, named SolvBTC.core, which generates yield by securing the Core blockchain network and engaging in DeFi activities while conforming to Islamic finance principles.
“We’ve been preparing for Sharia compliance for quite a while now. It’s a necessary step before launching our offerings on the platform,” Chow noted.
With over 25,000 BTC already locked in Solv’s protocol—valued at over $2 billion—he affirmed that the firm is focused on building infrastructure designed specifically for institutional requirements, keeping regulatory and cultural factors in mind.
