This is part of an ongoing case study series "Bitcoin At Work," highlighting the success of Real-World Bitcoin builders on Plume.
Plume’s Real-World Bitcoin mission is simple: turn Bitcoin from the world’s largest idle asset into the backbone of institutional-grade, onchain finance.
By bridging BTC directly into tokenized real-world assets, Plume delivers institutional-grade RWAs with steady, scalable yield.
Building Bitcoin Liquidity with Yala on Plume
Bitcoin’s $2.2 trillion market cap represents the largest pool of digital asset liquidity, yet most BTC sits idle. Many holders avoid custodial lending platforms due to risk. Yala was built to change that.
Yala is a Bitcoin-native protocol that lets BTC holders over-collateralize and mint $YU, a stablecoin soft-pegged to the US dollar. This gives users liquidity while keeping Bitcoin exposure.
Its design targets two groups:
- Retail users can access stablecoin liquidity in a secure, capital-efficient way.
- Institutional allocators gain a product focused on self-custody, transparent risk management, and protection from forced liquidation.
Through its integration with Plume, Yala provides a pathway for Bitcoin liquidity into real-world assets (RWAs) and institutional-grade DeFi strategies.
A Safer Model for BTC Liquidity
Centralized lenders like Celsius and BlockFi exposed the risks of custodial structures, where billions in BTC were lost. Yala avoids this by prioritizing:
- Self-custody: Users keep full control of their BTC collateral.
- Zero-liquidation design: Over-collateralization protects against forced liquidations during volatility.
- Chain-agnostic use: $YU can circulate across DeFi protocols and RWA platforms.
- Flexible yield modes: Pro Mode serves active traders and large holders via the Yala Vault, while Lite Mode offers fixed APRs with automated management.
This approach makes Yala a safer alternative to custodial lenders while maintaining capital efficiency.
As of August 2025, Yala secured over $230 million in TVL (total value locked). Its partnership with Plume expands Bitcoin’s use into RWAs and institutional DeFi.
Yala and Plume Collaboration
Key areas of joint work include:
- Direct $YU ↔ PlumeUSD swaps, bridging Bitcoin into Plume’s ecosystem.
$YU/PlumeUSD liquidity pools, designed for institutional order flow. - Integration with Plume’s RWA marketplace, giving BTC holders access to tokenized assets such as real estate, credit, and commodities.
- Onboarding initiatives for funds, treasuries, and high-net-worth individuals.
- Co-development of Bitcoin-based RWA products.
Strategic Role
The Yala-Plume partnership expands Bitcoin’s role in finance by enabling it to function as reliable collateral for institutional activity. It strengthens confidence among allocators, opens access to diversified yields beyond crypto markets, and establishes a framework for sustainable Bitcoin-backed liquidity in real-world finance.
With Yala’s self-custodial design and Plume’s RWA infrastructure, Bitcoin is moving from a passive reserve asset to an active participant in global financial markets.