Internet Computer plans to roll out BTC and ETH integrations by year-end

cointelegraph.com:

The Internet Computer has released a roadmap for 2022 and beyond, indicating plans to roll out integrations with Bitcoin and Ethereum by the end of the year.

The Internet Computer is a public blockchain and protocol that allows developers to install smart contracts and decentralized applications (DApps) directly on the blockchain. It was incubated and launched in May 2021 after years of development by Dfinity — a nonprofit based in Zurich.

The #ICP #BTC integration will prompt a new wave of DeFi applications built to leverage the world’s largest cryptocurrency. Full story:https://t.co/kexreQTw20 pic.twitter.com/bQkKdel7r5

The direct Bitcoin integration will be launched as part of Dfinity’s “Chromium Satoshi Release,” which is planned for Q1 2022. It will add smart contracts to the Bitcoin blockchain using “Chain Key cryptography,” displacing the need to use a bridge that can open the network up to malicious actors.

Dfinity community member Berto Parga Pena explains that Chain Key cryptography is “one of the fundamental breakthroughs enabling the Internet Computer to scale to millions of nodes.”

“Smart contracts on the Internet Computer will be able to hold, send and receive Bitcoin, without the need for private keys,” wrote Director of Product at Dfinity, Diego Prats, in a Jan. 29 roadmap post.

Meanwhile, integration with Ethereum is slated for Q3 2022 with the “Vanadium Vitalik Release.” Dfinity is yet to publish any further details about the integration, but Vice President of Communications, Michael Less, explained to Cointelegraph:

Less explained that Dfinity has chosen to prioritize these integrations to help facilitate its vision for a “multi-chain future.” He said, “If Bitcoin is going to be around forever, how do we