Citrea Foundation Launches to Strengthen Bitcoin’s Programmable Layer

The Citrea Foundation was officially introduced on March 2, 2026, as an independent organization focused on accelerating the development of programmable infrastructure on Bitcoin. The foundation aims to oversee the growth and decentralized governance of Bitcoin’s expanding application layer, positioning itself as a long-term steward of innovation within the ecosystem.

Based in the Cayman Islands, the foundation is led by a board of directors that includes Orkun Kilic and Murat Karademir, both co-founders of Chainway Labs. Their involvement signals a continued push toward scaling Bitcoin’s utility beyond its traditional role as a store of value.

Focus on Research, Grants, and Decentralized Governance

The Citrea Foundation will prioritize funding advanced cryptographic research, particularly efforts aimed at building trustless Bitcoin bridges that enhance interoperability without compromising decentralization. In parallel, it plans to manage grant programs designed to empower developers building on Bitcoin’s application layer.

By supporting open research and distributing resources through structured grants, the foundation seeks to reduce barriers to entry for builders and foster capital-efficient participation in the Bitcoin economy. Its broader objective is to strengthen decentralization while enabling more sophisticated financial and application use cases to emerge directly on Bitcoin’s infrastructure.