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Refusal file · other

Why Ketju rejected Merlin's Seal (Merlin Chain)

Memo v1Published by Ketju Research

A registry memo, published verbatim and versioned. Superseded versions are recorded, never edited away. A rejection is a judgment for Ketju's client base and thesis, not a universal safety claim. Not investment, legal, tax, or compliance advice.

The memo

REJECTED ON A THINNER APPROVAL SET THAN EVERY COMPARABLE BITCOIN WRAPPER ALREADY REJECTED IN THIS REGISTRY. Merlin's Seal is the BTC-locking bridge for Merlin Chain, a Bitcoin Layer 2, using MPC custody co-managed by Cobo and Merlin Chain that requires both parties' signatures to release funds. That two-party gate is smaller than WBTC's 2-of-3 multisig or Function FBTC's three-party Security Council, both already rejected in this registry for their own custody-concentration reasons, and current redemption mechanics for ordinary, non-promotional bridge transactions could not be confirmed from primary sources.

What would reopen the file

  • The MPC custody threshold expands beyond a two-party gate to a broader, named signer set, or an independent third-party verifier is added to the release process
  • Current redemption mechanism, timing, and any size limits for ordinary bridge transactions are independently confirmed and demonstrated at proposed size
  • An independent, recurring proof-of-reserves attestation for MBTC and other Seal-bridged assets is published
  • Twelve consecutive months with no depeg, custody, or bridge-release incident following threshold and redemption confirmation

Facts on file

Verdict
Rejected
Exposure
other
Chains examined
Ethereum
Memo version
v1
Reviewed
Next review

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