BTC Gas Model
Base Fees and Priority Fees on Snowside are always paid in BTC. Contract Fees (optional, opt-in by contract owner) may be denominated in BTC or USDC. There is no alternative gas token, no new minted token, and no pre-mine. The only assets on Snowside are BTC (for gas) and USDC (bridged from C-Chain via ICM).
Why BTC Gas Matters
Section titled “Why BTC Gas Matters”Using BTC as the native gas token preserves Bitcoin’s economic model. Users are not forced to acquire a new, speculative token to interact with the chain. They use Bitcoin — the most recognized and liquid cryptocurrency — for all transactions.
This design choice has several implications:
- No token launch, ICO, or pre-mine — Snowside is infrastructure, not an investment vehicle
- No governance token — protocol parameters are set by validators and the community
- Bitcoin holders can use Snowside without exposure to new token risk
- The gas market is denominated in the world’s most trusted digital asset
Acquiring BTC for Gas
Section titled “Acquiring BTC for Gas”Users acquire BTC for gas through two mechanisms:
Blind Merged Mining
Section titled “Blind Merged Mining”BTC flows between Bitcoin and Snowside via the BMM peg mechanism. Block producers pay BTC to miners for commitments; users pay BTC to producers for transaction inclusion. The closed loop keeps BTC on the sidechain.
Bridges
Section titled “Bridges”Users can bridge value from other chains to obtain BTC on Snowside. The ICM bridge provides a trust-minimized path from Avalanche’s C-Chain. Third-party bridges may also support BTC deposits.
Preserving Bitcoin’s Economic Model
Section titled “Preserving Bitcoin’s Economic Model”Because BTC is the only gas token, Bitcoin’s economic incentives flow directly into Snowside. Miners who secure Snowside via BMM are paid in BTC. Users who transact on Snowside pay in BTC. The economic loop is entirely Bitcoin-native — no competing incentive structures, no token dilution, no governance games.
Comparison to Other Chains
Section titled “Comparison to Other Chains”| Chain | Gas Token | New Token? |
|---|---|---|
| Snowside | BTC | No |
| Ethereum | ETH | N/A |
| EthSide (retired) | BTC | No |
| Avalanche C-Chain | AVAX | N/A |
Snowside and EthSide are the only EVM chains that use BTC natively for gas. Snowside improves on EthSide by adding Avalanche consensus, ICM bridging, and NodeRunr automation.