Introducing Hemi: An Advanced Modular Blockchain Network Powered by Bitcoin and Ethereum

Hemi Labs today announced the Hemi Network (“Hemi”), a modular layer-2 blockchain network focused on delivering superior scaling, security, and interoperability between Bitcaoin and Ethereum.

Hemi Labs was co-founded by early Bitcoin core developer Jeff Garzik and blockchain security pioneer Max Sanchez, who was the principal developer behind Hemi’s unique method for inheriting Bitcoin’s unique security characteristics — the Proof-of-Proof (“PoP”) consensus protocol.

A Layer-2 from a Different Point of View

Attempts to integrate and scale Bitcoin and Ethereum have tended to address the problem within their respective communities, resulting in a fractured ecosystem. Hemi instead approaches Bitcoin and Ethereum as components of a larger supernetwork. This surfaces the best capabilities of both networks and, in turn, enables a new class of previously unattainable blockchain applications.

Hemi’s powerful benefits include:

• Unifying Bitcoin & Ethereum — The Hemi Virtual Machine (hVM) integrates a full Bitcoin node within an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), enabling developers to harness the power of both Bitcoin and Ethereum using familiar and proven development tools. It maintains full backwards compatibility with EVM smart contracts, auditors, and Ethereum wallets.
• Bitcoin Programmability — Building with the Hemi Bitcoin Kit (hBK) provides smart-contract developers direct access to highly granular views of Bitcoin’s state available via the hVM. This unlocks applications such as Bitcoin (re)staking, Bitcoin-enabled lending markets, and democratized Bitcoin MEV marketplaces — applications that were previously impractical or impossible to execute in a truly trustless, secure, and efficient way.
• Superfinality — Through its PoP consensus protocol, Hemi inherits Bitcoin’s full security in a truly decentralized and permissionless manner, achieving better-than-Bitcoin finality, or “superfinality” in just a few hours. Additionally, PoP’s modular nature enables Hemi to extend this security efficiently to other blockchains.
• Trustless Cross-Chain Portability — With Tunnels, Hemi delivers a Bitcoin-secured conduit for securely moving assets between chains. Hemi’s design offers new methods for moving assets between networks beyond the traditional methods and trust models offered by conventional bridges.
• Asset Programmability — Hemi’s additional asset-programmability features include on-chain routing, time-lock, and password-protect. Gasless transfer enables asset movement without requiring any native chain currency, regardless of the presence of a web3 wallet.

Participate in the Incentivized Testnet

The Hemi incentivized testnet and referral program are accessible today. With the points program, participants earn “Miles” and can gain recognition for tasks that support everything from Hemi’s growth to overall development and improvement. Instructions for participation are available in the Hemi Docs.