The surge in Bitcoin-native decentralized finance (#DeFi ) has propelled leading Bitcoin #layer-2 (L2) network Stacks to achieve an all-time high in active accounts, reaching 122,497 in April. The introduction of Runes protocol for fungible tokens on the Bitcoin network and the 2024 Bitcoin halving have contributed to this surge in interest in Bitcoin DeFi, or BTCFi. Andre Serrano, Stacks' product and relationship manager, anticipates increased activity on #Bitcoin L2 networks as Bitcoin #Runes and #Ordinals drive smaller transactions away from the rising network fees on L1. With Bitcoin transaction fees dropping significantly post-halving, L2 networks like Stacks play a pivotal role in enabling more use cases and reducing transaction costs. Serrano emphasizes the importance of L2s for scaling the Bitcoin network beyond its current limits, particularly for smart contract functionality. Co-founder of MerlinSwap, Nash Lee, expresses optimism about BTCFi catching up to Ethereum-native DeFi innovation with current developments.