What Is Stacks?

Stacks (formerly Blockstack) is a layer-2 blockchain that brings smart contracts and decentralized applications to Bitcoin. Originally founded by Muneeb Ali and Ryan Shea in 2013, the project evolved from a decentralized identity system into a full smart contract platform that settles on Bitcoin. Stacks launched its current blockchain in January 2021 and completed a major upgrade called Nakamoto in 2024.

Overview - Table of Contents
What Is Stacks?
Getting Started With Stacks
How To Get A Stacks Wallet?
Stacks Resources
How To Buy STX?
Latest Stacks News

Stacks uses a unique consensus mechanism called Proof of Transfer (PoX), which connects Stacks to Bitcoin's security. In PoX, Stacks miners spend BTC to mine STX blocks, and STX holders who participate in "stacking" (Stacks' version of staking) earn BTC rewards. This creates a direct economic link between the two networks: Stacks miners commit real Bitcoin to participate, and stackers earn real Bitcoin yield. This is one of the only ways to earn native BTC yield without giving up custody of your Bitcoin.

The Nakamoto upgrade, completed in 2024, was a significant milestone for Stacks. It introduced fast blocks (settling in seconds rather than following Bitcoin's 10-minute block time), increased Bitcoin finality (Stacks transactions become as irreversible as Bitcoin transactions), and enabled sBTC, a decentralized, programmable Bitcoin-backed asset. sBTC allows Bitcoin holders to use their BTC in Stacks DeFi applications without centralized custodians.

Smart contracts on Stacks are written in Clarity, a decidable programming language designed for predictability and security. Unlike Turing-complete languages like Solidity, Clarity allows developers and users to know exactly what a smart contract will do before executing it. This design choice prioritizes safety and auditability, which aligns with the security-focused ethos of the Bitcoin ecosystem.

STX is the native token of the Stacks network. It is used for transaction fees, smart contract execution, and participation in stacking to earn BTC rewards. Stacks was notably the first token offering qualified by the SEC under Regulation A+, giving it a unique regulatory history in the crypto space.

The Stacks ecosystem includes DeFi protocols such as Arkadiko (stablecoin), Zest Protocol (lending), and ALEX (DEX), though ALEX has been winding down parts of its programs after an exploit of roughly $8.3 million in June 2025, for which users were reimbursed. The network also supports Bitcoin NFTs and identity solutions. As the Bitcoin ecosystem has grown with Ordinals and BRC-20 tokens, Stacks has benefited from increased interest in Bitcoin-native applications.

Getting Started With Stacks

Getting started with Stacks:

Step 1: Install a Stacks wallet such as Leather or Xverse.
Step 2: Acquire STX from a cryptocurrency exchange.
Step 3: Transfer STX to your wallet.
Step 4: Explore Stacks DeFi, participate in stacking to earn BTC, or interact with Bitcoin-connected dApps.

How to Get a Stacks Wallet?

Leather Wallet

Leather (formerly Hiro Wallet) is the most popular wallet for the Stacks ecosystem. Available as a browser extension and desktop application, it supports STX, Stacks-based tokens, Bitcoin, and Ordinals. Leather provides integrated stacking functionality for earning BTC rewards.

Xverse Wallet

Xverse is a mobile and browser wallet for Bitcoin and Stacks. It supports STX, BRC-20 tokens, Ordinals, and Stacks dApps. Xverse provides a unified Bitcoin + Stacks experience.

Ledger Hardware Wallet

Stacks is supported by Ledger hardware wallets. You can use Ledger with Leather wallet for secure offline key storage while still participating in stacking and dApp interactions.

Stacks Resources

How to Buy STX?

STX is available on major cryptocurrency exchanges:

Centralized Exchanges

STX can be purchased on Coinbase, Binance, Kraken, OKX, and other major exchanges. Trading pairs include STX/USDT, STX/BTC, and STX/USD on select platforms.

Decentralized Exchanges

Within the Stacks ecosystem, STX and Stacks-based tokens can be traded on native DEXs, including ALEX, though ALEX has been winding down parts of its programs following a roughly $8.3 million exploit in June 2025 for which users were reimbursed. STX can also be found as a wrapped token on Ethereum DEXs.

Latest Stacks News

Stacks is approaching its next major protocol upgrade: community voting on SIP-044 (Clarity 6) and SIP-045 (Bitcoin Staking) opened around July 10, 2026 after a short delay, with a hard fork scheduled for July 29, 2026. Meanwhile, sBTC adoption has grown substantially, with total value locked peaking around $545 million in the first quarter of 2026, and Fireblocks has brought institutional custody support while Circle's xReserve infrastructure powers USDCx, a USDC-backed stablecoin on Stacks.

On the institutional and regulatory front, the Grayscale Stacks Trust is now publicly trading, and back in July 2024 the SEC dropped its multi-year investigation into Hiro (a core Stacks developer company) without action. Not all news has been positive: Coinbase suspended STX perpetual futures in April 2026, though spot trading continues, and the ALEX DEX has been winding down parts of its programs after a June 2025 exploit in which users were reimbursed.