Zest Protocol: Bitcoin Lending on Stacks DeFi
1. What is Zest
Zest Protocol is a lending and borrowing platform built on the Stacks network, aiming to expand
the utility of Bitcoin in the DeFi space. Currently, most financial activities involving BTC take
place on centralized exchanges (CEX). Zest Protocol was created to address this limitation by
leveraging the Stacks ecosystem.
At the moment, Zest only supports assets within the Stacks network such as STX, stSTX, and
aeUSDC. It does not yet support native BTC assets. According to its roadmap, the platform will
integrate sBTC—a token backed 1:1 by BTC—after the Stacks network undergoes the
Nakamoto hard fork in mid-2024.
2. How to Earn Zest Protocol Airdrop
To participate in Zest Protocol’s airdrop campaign, users need to prepare a crypto wallet such as
XVerse, Leather, or Asigna, along with tokens like stSTX, aeUSDC, or STX on the Stacks
network. These tokens can be purchased from CEXs and transferred to the wallet, or bridged to
Stacks via Allbridge.
Once ready, follow these steps
Step 1 Visit the official Zest Protocol website
Step 2 Click Connect Wallet to connect your wallet
Step 3 Choose the Supply feature to deposit collateral. The more you supply, the higher your
airdrop reward. Supplying stSTX earns additional points
Step 4 Click Borrow to take out a loan and accumulate more airdrop points. It is recommended
to borrow no more than 50 percent of your collateral value to avoid liquidation during market
volatility.
Additionally, users can earn 10 percent bonus points through the referral program by sharing
their invite link, which can be found under the Point section
3. Key Features of Zest Protocol
Zest uses smart contracts written in Clarity, a language that enhances security and transparency. Although Clarity is not yet widely adopted and is currently only compatible with the Stacks network, it allows any developer to easily audit the source code
Zest offers low transaction fees, especially for wrapped BTC operations, which are typically expensive on other platforms. With Zest, users can wrap BTC to Stacks almost free of charge