Pogun Cuts BitVM Setup From 40 GiB to 28 MiB

Pogun CTO Torben Poguntke has released a BitVM Explorer demonstration showing Bitcoin-side protocol execution on mainnet, including deposit, claim, challenge and verification paths. Alongside the walkthrough, Poguntke reported that off-chain setup storage had fallen from 40 GiB to 0.0281 GB, while setup time dropped from 354 seconds to 0.149 seconds.

The demonstration focuses on the Bitcoin execution layer. Pogun’s full Bitcoin-to-Cardano mirroring bridge is not yet publicly available.

BitVM Explorer Shows Bitcoin Mainnet Execution

Poguntke published the BitVM Explorer Demo – Step-by-step protocol execution + Mainnet run on August 7. The explorer visualizes the protocol’s transaction graph and allows its execution paths to be followed step by step.

The demonstration uses three operators, Alice, Bob and Charlie, and displays connector outputs and multiple transaction branches. Blue paths represent standard execution, while red paths cover challenge and dispute scenarios.

During the mainnet walkthrough, the explorer shows Bitcoin transaction stages involving deposits, claims, signatures and challenges. Pogun uses a 1-of-N security model designed so that a single honest operator can prevent a fraudulent claim from succeeding.

Connector outputs link predefined protocol stages through Bitcoin UTXOs, constraining how execution can proceed through either the standard or dispute path.

Pogun Shrinks BitVM Setup Requirements

According to Poguntke’s August 10 update, the new figures represent roughly a 1,450-fold reduction in storage and a 2,376-fold reduction in setup time based on the reported values.

Poguntke also reported that the estimated Bitcoin-side dispute path cost fell from $14,211 to $37. The figure relates to the optimized protocol approach rather than a standard Bitcoin or Cardano transaction fee.

The optimization targets the heavy off-chain requirements associated with earlier BitVM3-style constructions. Pogun is using a witness-encryption and BABE-style approach designed to reduce the cryptographic workload required for the protocol.

Detailed hardware and testing conditions for the comparative measurements have not been publicly documented, so the calculated ratios reflect Pogun’s reported figures rather than a standardized benchmark.

Pogun Connects Bitcoin Liquidity to Cardano

Pogun is developing a Bitcoin liquidity and credit stack connected to Cardano, including a credit market, yield products and a planned BitVM-powered mirroring bridge.

Under the proposed model, BTC remains locked on Bitcoin while a non-fungible 1:1 mirror representing a specific Bitcoin UTXO is created on Cardano. The mirror is designed for use within Pogun’s credit and yield infrastructure, with Cardano-side transactions using ADA for network fees.

The project builds on earlier Cardinal work by the same technical team, which explored Bitcoin bridge infrastructure using BitVMX. Pogun extends that work toward a broader DeFi stack and optimized multi-operator architecture.

The current Explorer demonstration verifies progress on the Bitcoin-side execution layer rather than a completed end-to-end bridge. The latest optimization reduces a specific infrastructure constraint behind that roadmap, moving the BitVM setup from resource-heavy requirements toward a footprint that is substantially easier to operate.