High-Level Architecture

Overview

Sova integrates Bitcoin directly into an EVM runtime.

Sova allows deposits, withdrawals, and contract operations involving Bitcoin to execute natively and finalize based on real Bitcoin confirmations. Not external attestations or bridge signatures.

Deposits

1. A user signs both a Bitcoin transaction and a Sova transaction.

2. Validators track the broadcasted Bitcoin transaction through local Bitcoin Core connections.

3. The SovaEVM Inspector locks the corresponding EVM storage slots tied to a specific BTC transaction.

4. After a BTC transaction has six confirmations, sovaBTC is minted 1:1.

5. If the transaction remains unconfirmed after 21 Bitcoin blocks, the Sova EVM reverts any state tied to that BTC transaction to its previous value.

Withdrawals

1. A user burns sovaBTC on Sova and provides a Bitcoin withdrawal address for receiving their Bitcoin.

2. Signers on the Sova network are incentivized to fulfill, sign, and broadcast a Bitcoin transactions that are awaiting withdrawal.

3. Once confirmed, the Bitcoin withdrawal transaction is linked onchain to the SovaBTC burn event, maintaining a verifiable audit trail.

Bitcoin Anchoring

Every Sova block embeds an anchor that records the latest Bitcoin block height and hash. This smart contract which stores the anchored state is available on the Sova network at 0x2100000000000000000000000000000000000015.

Each node independently validates the state locking data with their own SovaEVM and inspector rejecting blocks that don’t align with Bitcoin’s canonical chain. This ensures that Sova’s state always reflects the confirmed reality of the Bitcoin network.

Together, these mechanisms allow Sova to function as a Bitcoin-verified execution environment that any third party can audit or replay deterministically.

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Architecture Overview

Sova is and Optimistic L2 Rollup settling on Ethereum. Sova is composed of four main subsystems:

1. Execution Layer (sova-reth)

   • Built using the Reth SDK.

   • Adds custom Bitcoin precompiles.

   • SovaBTC enshired at the chain level.

2. Consensus Layer (op-node)

   • Out-of-the-box OP consensus client.

   • Posts L2 state to Ethereum for transparency and cross-ecosystem interoperability.

3. Validation & Finality Services

   • Sentinel: off-chain database tracking confirmation status of all Bitcoin transactions. Used by sova-reth to lock and unlocks EVM storage tied to Bitcoin transactions.

   • Bitcoin Anchoring: on-chain data linking Sova block state to Bitcoin block state.

   • Together, these enforce deterministic Bitcoin finality across nodes.

This modular architecture gives developers a full stack for building Bitcoin-denominated DeFi — yield vaults, structured notes, lending protocols, and more — all anchored to Bitcoin truth.