Unlocking Bitcoin: To DeFi with Mintlayer is a blockchain and financial technology book by
entrepreneur and software engineer Enrico Rubboli. Published in 2025, the book explores Bitcoin’s potential beyond its role as digital gold by detailing the creation and capabilities of Mintlayer—a Bitcoin sidechain designed to support decentralized finance (DeFi), enhance scalability, and enable tokenized asset transactions.
OverviewThe book provides a deep analysis of Bitcoin’s limitations related to smart contracts, transaction throughput, and DeFi functionality. It contrasts Bitcoin’s original design with Ethereum-based DeFi models, highlighting challenges such as high gas fees and systemic security risks. Rubboli presents Mintlayer as a layer-2 solution that leverages Bitcoin’s base layer for enhanced security while adding programmability and financial utility.
Drawing from his experience in high-level blockchain development, Rubboli explains how Mintlayer enables tokenization, peer-to-peer exchanges, and composable financial applications without altering Bitcoin’s core structure.
ContentThe book is structured into multiple chapters that explore:
- The origins and motivations behind Mintlayer
- Bitcoin’s scalability and programmability constraints
- How Mintlayer addresses limitations using sidechain architecture
- Real-world asset tokenization and DeFi applications
- Blockchain’s evolving role in global financial systems
BiographyEnrico Rubboli is an entrepreneur and software engineer with over 22 years of experience in blockchain, fintech, and cybersecurity. He is best known as the founder and CEO of Mintlayer, a Bitcoin sidechain aimed at enabling scalable DeFi functionality. Before launching Mintlayer in 2019, Rubboli contributed to major crypto platforms including Bitfinex and helped transition Tether into a multi-chain ecosystem. As a
software engineer and entrepreneur, Rubboli combines deep technical expertise with a visionary approach to decentralized finance and open-source development.
Reception and ImpactThe book has been praised for its clarity and depth in explaining complex blockchain concepts. It has become a key reference for blockchain developers, investors, and policy experts interested in extending Bitcoin’s utility through secure and scalable infrastructure.
Unlocking Bitcoin: To DeFi with Mintlayer contributes meaningfully to the growing discourse on Bitcoin’s future in institutional finance and DeFi innovation.
