Operational Guides

The guides below provide high-level overviews for first-time users. Detailed technical implementation guides will be available as separate documents upon launch.

Wallet Requirements

Bitcoin side: No special setup required - any wallet that can send BTC to a Taproot address (e.g., Sparrow, Ledger Live, BlueWallet) will work when you deposit into the bridge.

For Canton: Yes. After your Bitcoin is bridged, CBTC lives on Canton, so you’ll need a wallet that understands Canton tokens. Today that list is short - the Canton CLI is fully supported, with additional wallets coming as the ecosystem progresses

Run a Minter Application

A Minter Application enables institutions to offer CBTC deposit and withdrawal services to their users. As a Minter, you’ll coordinate between Bitcoin deposits and Canton token issuance.

Prerequisites

Minter Credential (Get yours herearrow-up-right)
Bitcoin infrastructure for monitoring deposits and managing withdrawals
Canton participant node for interacting with CBTC contracts
Integration with the decentralized Attestor network for transaction approvals High-Level Process

Running a Minter Application involves monitoring Bitcoin addresses for user deposits, coordinating with Attestors for verification, and triggering CBTC minting on Canton. The bridge also handles the reverse process for withdrawals, burning CBTC tokens and facilitating Bitcoin payouts.

Operational Considerations

Monitor Bitcoin network for deposit confirmations (6 blocks required)
Coordinate with the governance module for Attestor approvals
Manage periodic checks every 60-120 seconds for processing transactions

Run an Attestor Node

Attestor Nodes form the decentralized security backbone of CBTC, independently verifying all mint and burn operations through Canton’s governance system

Prerequisites:

Technical infrastructure capable of running both Bitcoin and Canton nodes High-Level Process

Attestors monitor Bitcoin transactions, verify deposit and withdrawal requests, and submit confirmations through Canton’s governance module. Each important action requires group approval, ensuring no single party can unilaterally control minting or burning.

Operational Responsibilities

Independent verification of Bitcoin transactions reaching 6 confirmations
Submission of ConfirmDepositAction for mints and ArchiveWithdrawRequest for burns
Participation in the threshold approval process with other Attestors
Maintenance of both Bitcoin monitoring and Canton governance infrastructure Note: Almost all of these responsibilities are automated with the only exception being governance (adding/removing nodes) which requires coordination between operators

Spin Up a Canton Node/Instance

Running a Canton Node allows institutions to participate directly in the CBTC ecosystem, whether as holders, minters, or service providers

Prerequisites:

Appropriate CBTC credential (Holder or Minter)
Technical infrastructure for running Canton participant nodes
Integration capabilities for connecting to the broader Canton network High-Level Setup

Canton nodes participate in the privacy-preserving, deterministic ledger that hosts CBTC contracts. Your node will process transactions, maintain contract state, and interact with other participants through Canton’s encrypted messaging system.

Key Components

Participant node for transaction processing and contract interaction
Connection to Canton’s sync domain for coordinated state updates
Integration with CBTC governance contracts for credential verification
API endpoints for application integration (if providing services to end users)