Stanford University professor David Tse and his team are using Bitcoin's proof-of-work consensus mechanism to enhance the security of proof-of-stake (PoS) smart contract blockchain protocols. Their Babylon blockchain uses Bitcoin to incentivize BTC holders to participate in staking on PoS chains, without the need to alter or fork the Bitcoin protocol.
By connecting a PoS-based slashing mechanism to the Bitcoin network, Babylon creates smart contracts with specific spending conditions. Tse believes that Babylon expands the utility of Bitcoin beyond being a simple store of value or medium of exchange by sharing its robust security with other chains and applications.
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