Stacks Foundation Blog
ARTICLES, UPDATES, AND RECAPS
April 21
"How Stacks is Winning in '25", brought together builders, core contributors, and members of the Stacks community for a livestream exploring what will excite the crypto market about Stacks in 2025, what’s next for the STX ecosystem and why the leading Bitcoin L2 asset, sBTC, matters.
April 9
Buidl Battle hackathon was organized around key themes shaping Bitcoin’s future: DeFi, the 3.0 digital economy, infra and developer tooling, and NFTs/Ordinals. The 3-week competition brought together Bitcoin and Stacks developers to ship transformative projects.
February 16
Beyond earning a safe, real Bitcoin yield, sBTC can be deployed in Stacks’ growing DeFi ecosystem, opening up even more yield opportunities. Supply sBTC on Zest, pool it on Velar, or use other battle-tested DeFi apps to earn additional token rewards on top of the base APY.
February 16
Stacks, the leading Bitcoin L2 by market cap, is unlocking new opportunities for Bitcoin holders with the next phase of sBTC, the decentralized way to move your BTC to the L2. On February 25, the cap will increase from 1,000 BTC to 3,000 BTC.This post highlights 5 DeFi opportunities you can leverage with sBTC
February 11
Hey Stackers, after an action-packed year I wanted to offer something of a personal recap and a look ahead at the Stacks ecosystem and foundation. In this piece, I’ll talk about the key ways our team contributed and look ahead at how what the ecosystem did last year might inform 2025 for us and other contributors.
December 17
Hey Stackers, we are thrilled the mainnet release of sBTC is upon us all! With sBTC, builders will redefine what it means to engage with Bitcoin.
December 4
The release of sBTC will move ahead on December 17th, while one replacement Signer will be elected in January.
December 4
The votes are in and the community has approved SIP-029! The results are taken from 573 participating addresses, representing both locked and unlocked Stacks tokens. 99.9440% of unlocked STX voted in favor of the sIP.
November 15
SIP-029 will address critical network incentives during two major protocol developments: the launch of sBTC and the continued operation of Nakamoto Signers.
November 13
SIP-028 is a critical proposal that lays the groundwork for the sBTC system by defining the criteria for selecting sBTC Signers. These Signers will be essential in ensuring the security and efficiency of the sBTC protocol.
October 28
We've just entered a new era for Bitcoin. The Nakamoto upgrade is live, the stage is set for sBTC.
October 25
With sBTC right around the corner, an important SIP vote is opening up that will establish the criteria and selection process for sBTC Signers.
October 17
Currently, this block is projected to occur on October 29th. Fittingly, just before the Bitcoin whitepaper’s 15th birthday, you’ll have fast blocks on the leading Bitcoin L2.
October 10
Stackers, another milestone has just been passed, as the Primary Testnet has been successfully hard-forked and is running the full Nakamoto release. This was the final ‘dress rehearsal’ before a mainnet hard fork and is going according to plan.
October 4
On the heels of a new RC, Core Devs continue to work with builders, Signers, and others. They have decided to wait on picking a new block this week and instead plan to select one after the final Primary Testnet hard fork next week.
September 27
This week’s planned Nakaomto Testnet hard fork was successful. You can see fast blocks in the explorer and not only enjoy today’s speed, but also get excited that continued optimizations will make them even faster.
September 20
Lucky Bitcoin block number #864864, is currently expected on Wednesday, October 9th. Core contributors are committed to a safe, secure launch and reserve the right to select a new hard fork block if needed.
September 17
This piece officially wraps up the Stacks Foundation’s 21 Days of Nakamoto campaign and provides a peak at the upcoming release of sBTC.
September 16
Together, we’re crafting an edition of Tokensoft’s unique offering tailored to the needs of founders building on Bitcoin.
September 16
Nakamoto activation is on track with the previously shared Activation sequence, and core devs plan to make the selection of a hard fork block in the next 7 days! They currently project the hard fork block will fall during Cycle 94.
September 4
Anchorage Digital, home to the only federally chartered digital asset bank in the US, has announced its custody support for Stacks, a leading Bitcoin Layer 2 solution.
August 30
The Stacks protocol provides a unique, compelling benefit found in few places in the crypto ecosystem — bitcoin rewards. Stacking Tools offers would-be Stackers more tools for whatever path their Stacking journey takes.
August 30
With Nakamoto in the process of activating and sBTC just around the bend, it's clear a year of exciting growth is ahead. Day 3 of the 21 Days Of Nakamoto brings builders to grow your project.
August 23
Last week saw the approval of both SIP-027, an improvement to multi sig support on Stacks, as well as the approval of SIP-025, where Signers unanimously approved the temporary schema simplification proposal.
August 21
The results are in for the SIP-027 vote and the community has approved the upgrade to bring non-sequential multisig transactions to the Stacks layer. Congratulations to Vlad Bespalov and Jeff Bencin, the authors of this SIP.
August 8
At long last, Nakamoto’s activation window is nearly upon us. We’ve connected with Core Developers to bring you this complete look at the sequence that will bring us all the highly anticipated Nakamoto features.
August 8
On July 25th and 26th, the Bitcoin Builders ecosystem came together in Nashville to celebrate Bitcoin as a productive asset and discuss the path forward for Bitcoin from a builder standpoint.
August 1
Since the Nakamoto instantiation, over a dozen signers have joined the network. World-class infrastructure providers have already been onboarded and have started earning BTC rewards.
July 23
During Stacking Cycle 90, which starts on approximately August 2nd, community voting will commence for an important Stacks Improvement Proposal (SIP).
The successful hard fork of Primary Testnet means that the core devs can now move to the next step of picking the final mainnet hard fork block.
After the successful hardfork of the Nakamoto Testnet last week, the latest stacks-core software Release Candidate 2
This week’s planned Nakaomto Testnet hard fork was successful. You can see fast blocks in the explorer and not only enjoy today’s speed, but also get excited that continued optimizations will make them even faster.
We’ve connected with Core Developers to bring you this update on the Activation sequence.
This piece officially wraps up the Stacks Foundation’s 21 Days of Nakamoto campaign and provides a peak at the upcoming release of sBTC.
We’ve connected with Core Developers to bring you this update on the Activation sequence.
Just a few weeks after launching their ‘LegalZoom for crypto companies,’ Tokensoft Foundation has partnered with two major Stacks contributors: Stacks Foundation and Bitcoin Frontier Fund.
Anchorage Digital, home to the only federally chartered digital asset bank in the US, has announced its custody support for Stacks, a leading Bitcoin Layer 2 solution. Stacks is the first Bitcoin L2 supported by Anchorage Digital, marking a significant step for institutional involvement in the Bitcoin ecosystem.
Learn more about new ecosystem resources that are available to help you grow your project
5 new Stacking tools for Stackers, Developers, and Pool Operators
Today, we launched a major upgrade to the documentation, specifically around how the information is organized and structured.
Signers Approves Temporary Schema Simplification
The results are in for the SIP-027 vote and the community has approved the upgrade to bring non-sequential multisig transactions to the Stacks layer.
We’ve connected with Core Developers to bring you this complete look at the Activation sequence.
On July 25th and 26th, the Bitcoin Builders ecosystem came together in Nashville to celebrate Bitcoin as a productive asset and discuss the path forward for Bitcoin from a builder standpoint.
Since the Nakamoto instantiation, over twenty signers have publicly joined the network, including world-class infrastructure providers who have already been onboarded and have started earning BTC rewards.
This post will summarize SIP-025, an addendum to the previously approved SIP-021 representing a proposal to temporarily simplify the threshold signature scheme for Signers.
During Stacking Cycle 90, which starts on approximately August 2nd, community voting will commence for an important Stacks Improvement Proposal (SIP). By voting, you're directly influencing the direction of key technological advancements and protocol improvements for the leading Bitcoin L2.
BitGo, a leader in digital asset financial services, has launched support for the Stacks layer, enhancing Bitcoin functionality with integrated delegate and solo stacking capabilities. This initiative not only expands BitGo's ecosystem involvement but also offers clients a unique opportunity to earn Bitcoin (BTC) rewards.
TL;DR: They are on track for reaching Code Complete on the new code needed for Activation and the Primary Testnet is back.
Highlights from the virtual Building on Bitcoin event
The 2024 EasyA Consensus Hackathon brought together nearly 500 web3 developers in the same room. The top 3 winners received a total of $25K in prizes, and a fast-track for growth in the Stacks ecosystem with opportunities for grants, exclusive communities of builders, and mentorship with some of the best and brightest building on Bitcoin.
TL;DR: They are on track for reaching Code Complete on the new code needed for Activation and the Primary Testnet is back.
Whether you're just getting started or have your own app, you can earn by coding consistently.
The Stacks Foundation is excited to announce the latest set of quarterly Critical Bounties, aimed at funding infrastructure development, tools, research, and other initiatives that drive Bitcoin layer development.
An Ecosystem Guide To Take You From Introduction to Action
A Summary of the EasyA Harvard Hackathon
Highlights from the virtual Building on Bitcoin event
Core Developers are adjusting the Activation timeline for Nakamoto to increase Signer and miner resiliency
Get your Stacks back in a pool and win prizes in addition to your BTC rewards!
Today, the first of two hard forks that will bring the Stacks layer the Nakamoto upgrade went live thanks to miners, node operators, exchanges, Signers, and more.
The Stacks Foundation Continues to Invest in the Developer Ecosystem
The Nakamoto Release, bringing Fast Blocks & Bitcoin Finality to Stacks, is currently being rolled out. This article explores different decentralized applications built on Stacks:
Today, we are thrilled to welcome all builders and Stacks community members to leverage Ortege, a powerful platform offering data and insights centered on Stacks
The change will offer Stacking pools, node operators, and exchanges additional time to upgrade and not miss Stacking cycles.
The first Bitcoin L2 Galxe campaign is live.
The largest Identity Protocol Integrates the Leading Bitcoin L2
A Summary of the Successful Ready Layer 2 Competition
A Highlight of the Blossoming Bitcoin DeFi Ecosystem powered by the leading Bitcoin L2
Leveraging Stacks as a robust initial case study, the BitVM-focused Working Group will look to accelerate the development of BitVM while determining how it might improve trust assumptions on the network.
Portal DeFi, known for enabling efficient ways of leveraging blockchain networks, has announced plans to integrate Stacks and, upon its launch, bring sBTC to Portal DEX, a liquidity hub for assets built on Bitcoin layers.
Learn more about the Nakamoto Testnet and how builders, Signers, and Stackers can participate.
The votes are in, and the community has approved the Nakamoto Upgrade, a major update for the Stacks layer, making it faster and more secure. In this post, we've recapped the voting results, what you can expect for the remaining rollout process, and resources to help you stay up to date.
Become a Bitcoin L2 Ambassador
Today, we’re announcing an ongoing cooperation with the Bifrost Foundation aimed at increasing the utility and interoperability of Bitcoin-based assets and protocols.
A Look Into Stacking DAO, A Stacks DeFi App With Over $100M TVL
The ALEX Lab Foundation is a nonprofit supporting the growth of the ALEX DeFi protocol. ALEX aims to use Bitcoin Layers, specifically the Stacks Bitcoin Layer 2, along with its upcoming sBTC release, to bring DeFi to Bitcoin. This use case analysis looks at ALEX’s decision to use Stacks and sBTC to build its protocol.
Today, the Pre-Launch Testnet (fka Argon for all you OGs!) was ‘Activated’, making the Nakamoto rules live.
Highlights from the virtual Building on Bitcoin event: a rallying point for Bitcoiners and developers building on Bitcoin
As we continue to prepare for the upcoming Nakamoto rollout phases, we're thrilled to announce that Stacks is welcoming more Signer support from industry leaders including Blockdaemon, NEAR Foundation, DeSpread, Luxor, Chorus One, Kiln, and Alum Labs.
Understand the Nakamoto rollout approach that will brings more features live in a safe, step-by-step process.
Explore the latest developments in the Stacks ecosystem as residents and contributors rally behind the Nakamoto upgrade and beyond.
Building a decentralized exchange is not easy. This post shows how Stacks and sBTC enable BitFlow to bring a DEX to Bitcoin.
Meet the refreshed Stacks brand that strengthens the connection to Bitcoin.
Where is the Bitcoin ecosystem at? Where is it going? Signal21 is coming online to help provide these answers and more. Bitcoin innovation is surging as L2s and other solutions for scaling and building on Bitcoin enter the spotlight. Signal21 wants to help make sense of it all and they’re starting with Stacks, the leading Bitcoin L2.
During the Ready Layer 2 Pitch Competition in 2023, Vlad Bespalov pitched his company, Asigna. Its innovative offering, a native multisig solution tailored for Bitcoin and Stacks, immediately captured attention for its promise of enhanced security for trusted wallets.
Behind the scenes, contributors and our team are always working to maintain and optimize key web properties in conjunction with the critical work happening on the Stacks layer itself. These changes shouldn’t prevent you from getting where you’re going as redirects will be put in place where applicable.
We're thrilled to announce that the Decentralized Stacking Pool is now open to the Stacks Community on mainnet, ushering in a new era of decentralized stacking.
Ortege x Stacks: A collaboration that will make access to blockchain data simpler and more insightful than ever before. Ortege will be integrating Stacks into OrtegeETL - allowing developers to effortlessly export Stacks data and enhancing overall data accessibility.
To vote on the Nakamoto Release, follow these simple steps and choose a voting method appropriate to your personal stacking method. The entire voting process can also be completed via mobile wallets like Xverse.
We are thrilled to announce that all three Consideration Advisory Boards (CABs) have approved the Nakamoto Stacks Improvement Proposal (SIP), another milestone in the ongoing development of Stacks, the leading Bitcoin L2.
Today, the news went out that Luganodes is bringing its world-class infrastructure to the Stacks network as we head toward the Nakamoto and sBTC upgrades
Thanks to steady progress, we’re now able to share that the window for the Nakamoto upgrade will be April 15-29, 2024.
The Grants program supplies structured funding for critical open-source technology development and select educational efforts. Today, we’re pleased to introduce the six new projects selected for the pilot cohort of the De-Grants Program.
In order for the upgrade to pass, a strong majority of the network must vote ‘Yes on Nakamoto.’ That is, 80% or more of votes cast from at least 80 million stacked STX voting must represent a ‘Yes’ vote.
While security has always been a priority of the blockchain, the upcoming Nakamoto upgrade is taking things to a whole new level. Let’s explore how Nakamoto is fortifying the Stacks network.
An open letter from Brittany Laughlin of the Stacks Foundation.
To celebrate what will be a banner year for Bitcoin, we're raising our Bitcoin flag higher than ever and inviting you to join us.
Deep dive on all the key aspects of this exciting Stacks upgrade to the leading Bitcoin L2