Overview
Sundial lets Bitcoin holders earn yield on their coins without handing them to a custodian and without swapping them for a wrapped version. You lock Bitcoin into a smart contract on the Bitcoin network for a set period, then get it back along with any yield it earned1. It is aimed at institutions and treasuries that hold large amounts of Bitcoin and want it to do more than sit idle.
Sundial connects Bitcoin to Cardano's decentralized finance ecosystem, the part of the network where people lend, borrow, and earn returns through open software rather than banks. Instead of a traditional bridge that moves your coins into a separate pool, Sundial uses Bitcoin's own built-in timelock features to hold funds in place, so the Bitcoin never leaves its home network2. The protocol is built by Sundial Protocol Pte. Ltd., a Singapore-registered company3.
Key Features
- Keep control of your Bitcoin. Deposits sit in an on-chain escrow contract that only the owner can unlock, so no company ever takes custody of the funds4.
- No wrapped coins or custodial bridge. The Bitcoin stays on the Bitcoin network the whole time, which removes the bridge-related failures that have drained other Bitcoin yield products5.
- Independently security-reviewed code. The security firm Hacken audited Sundial's core Bitcoin-locking software and reported no critical or high-severity issues, with all findings resolved4.
- Built for institutions and treasuries. Sundial offers tools aimed at companies and funds that want a compliant way to put large Bitcoin holdings to work, including a developer kit for building on top of the system2.
- Open public bug bounty. Outside security researchers can report flaws through a HackenProof program, adding a second layer of review beyond the formal audit6.
What to Expect
A visitor will find a working test version rather than a finished product. Sundial runs a Bitcoin yield testnet called Sundial Dawn, where the deposit, withdraw, and claim steps can be tried in a safe test environment before real money is involved2. A full public launch on the live network is still in development.
The website explains the product mainly for an institutional audience, with a solutions page, a company page listing the team, and a resources hub that links the litepaper, the technical documentation, and the Hacken audit report7. Sundial has a funded Project Catalyst proposal from the Cardano community and an active public code repository, both signs of ongoing engineering work8. Curious readers can follow progress through the project's news page and its accounts on X, Telegram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
