The Citrea Bapp Unfreeze campaign introduced the next era of Bitcoin apps in a fresh, community-driven way. It connected early users with the builders shaping Citrea’s Layer 2 ecosystem and set the stage for the road to mainnet.

For the Tanari team, Unfreeze was a chance to meet our future users in the wild. Thousands of people joined, explored, and gave us feedback that shaped what comes next.

By the end of the campaign, Tanari had become one of the community’s favorite ₿apps, with over 28,000 new accounts and 57,000 BTC transfers on testnet.

The results were encouraging, but even more valuable was the experience itself. Here’s what stood out to us during Unfreeze.

What Made Tanari Stand Out

From the first day of Unfreeze, people noticed that Tanari felt different. It was the only mobile app in the entire campaign, designed to feel fast, familiar, and simple from the moment you opened it. The features that defined the experience changed how people thought about self-custody.

Passkeys for Effortless Access

For most Bitcoiners, the seed phrase is sacred, it represents complete control. But for newcomers, being told “if you lose these 12 words, you lose everything” can feel very intimidating.

That’s why we introduced passkey login, a modern security standard that lets users access their wallets/accounts with Face ID or a fingerprint. Passkeys are stored securely within a device’s hardware, verified biometrically, and never exposed.

Read more about the difference between seed phrases, passwords and passkeys here.

They don’t replace self-custody, they introduce new way to it by removing the fear of setup mistakes and lower the barrier to entry. In Unfreeze, this simple change made a huge difference. Users felt confident logging in, knowing their access was both secure and intuitive.

Usernames Instead of Addresses

One of the most immediate reactions we saw was to usernames. Instead of copying long wallet addresses, people could send Bitcoin the same way they’d send a message to a friend. It turned Bitcoin transactions from something technical into something natural, personal, direct, and frictionless.

As one of our users put it (and it quickly became one of our favorite taglines):“Username is the new address. " Period.

Passkeys + Guardians for Confident Recovery

The fear of losing access is one of the main reasons many people avoid self-custody altogether.

Tanari’s Guardian-based recovery system, combined with passkey technology, offers a solution that’s both social and secure.

Guardians are people you choose, trusted friends, family, or even your other devices, who can help you recover your wallet if you lose your phone or hardware.

They can’t move your Bitcoin or see your funds. They simply verify your identity so you can safely regain access. This approach doesn’t weaken Bitcoin’s security model, and instead it builds on it, with cryptographic guarantees that make recovery practical for real life.

It’s a small change with a big impact: self-custody that people can actually live with, not worry about.

All of these features (passkeys, usernames, and Guardian recovery) depend on a solid foundation. For Tanari, that foundation is Citrea, the Bitcoin Layer 2 that makes these experiences possible without compromising security.

While users interact with a clean, mobile interface, every action is powered by Citrea’s zero-knowledge rollup, anchored directly to Bitcoin’s Layer 1.

It’s the quiet layer beneath the simplicity, turning smooth UX into verifiable, trust-minimized Bitcoin finance.

What We Learned from the Community

By the end of Unfreeze, the numbers spoke for themselves: more than 28,000 accounts created and over 57,000 BTC transfers made through Tanari on testnet! But what really stood out was what people said while using it.

We kept seeing the same reactions again and again: “It feels simple”.

That meant a lot to us, because simplicity wasn’t just a design choice, it was the goal from day one.

Still, Unfreeze wasn’t a finish line. It was the start of the real work. We’re now taking everything we learned and using it to make Tanari even better before mainnet:

• Improving key flows - making setup, sending, and recovery smoother from start to finish.
• Adding more Guardian options - flexible thresholds and advanced controls for recovery.
• Enhancing the interface - new UI elements that guide users through every step with clarity and confidence.
• Expanding functionality - more ways to use Bitcoin inside a fully self-owned environment.

Every improvement comes directly from feedback shared during Unfreeze.

The Road to Mainnet

The success of Unfreeze gave us both validation and direction. People showed us what works, what feels right, and what still needs refinement. Now it’s our turn to build on that foundation.

In the months ahead, we’re focusing on three things that matter most:

• Implementing everything we learned. The feedback from Unfreeze is shaping every screen, flow, and decision in the app.
• Adding new features. We’re expanding what Tanari can do. New tools, new flows, new ways to use Bitcoin, and plenty of small upgrades that make the experience smoother all around.
• Auditing and strengthening. Security reviews and audits will ensure every part of Tanari, from passkey access to Guardian logic, stands up to the standards Bitcoin deserves.

Each step brings us closer to the mainnet launch, but also closer to the people we’re building for. Because at its core, Tanari it’s a community effort to make self-owned finance usable for everyone.

🟠 Want to be part of it?Join our Discord to connect with the team, be a part of the community (so you can understand our internal jokes), share feedback, and help shape the next phase of Tanari before mainnet goes live.

Unfreeze was the beginning. Mainnet is where it becomes real. See you soon!