The push for institutions to generate returns on their bitcoin holdings is gaining momentum, and financial platform Mezo is now offering a solution to help put idle BTC to work. Mezo Prime has introduced segregated vaults, known as Enclaves, which enable institutions to earn yield on bitcoin held in custody with Anchorage Digital Bank. This development reflects a changing perception of bitcoin among institutions, from a passive store of value to a capital asset capable of producing immediate returns.
Many institutional holders are no longer content to let their assets sit idle. The emergence of bitcoin-native yield infrastructure, such as Rootstock and Babylon, has driven this change by providing mechanisms for BTC to be used in lending, borrowing, and other financial strategies without leaving the Bitcoin ecosystem.
Mezo's Enclaves are designed to address institutional concerns around asset segregation, reporting, and risk controls, which have historically limited participation in crypto lending and decentralized finance. The project has received 250 BTC ($19.4 million) in funding from Bullish, which is also among the first users of the product. Bitcoin deposited into the vaults can be used to earn protocol fees or as collateral to borrow a bitcoin-backed stablecoin, all without being rehypothecated.
While institutional adoption of these products is still in its early stages and yields are relatively low compared to other crypto assets, initiatives like Mezo demonstrate a growing trend of treating bitcoin as a productive financial asset rather than just a digital equivalent of gold.