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Stacks Open-source network
also invests · investor profile16 known investors
Stacks is a blockchain platform that enables smart contracts and decentralized applications to leverage Bitcoin as a secure base layer through a Layer 2 solution, offering developer tools and a programming language called Clarity.
Also known as Stacks · Stacks blockchain
Investors · 16
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Company profile
researched Aug 2026Stacks is an open-source Bitcoin layer-2 network that allows applications and smart contracts to use Bitcoin as a secure base layer. Contracts are written in Clarity, a security-oriented programming language with visibility into Bitcoin state, and the network positions transactions as inheriting Bitcoin's irreversibility. The network's consensus and settlement design is presented through Proof of Transfer, alongside the Nakamoto upgrade and a PoX-5 hardfork.
A central product is sBTC, described as a 1:1 Bitcoin-backed asset providing a decentralized way to move BTC between Bitcoin L1 and the Stacks L2 and back, now live on the network. Stacks also frames STX as the capacity asset used for Bitcoin staking, with self-custodial Bitcoin yield as a core user proposition. The project publishes developer documentation, tooling, tutorials, a whitepaper, a bounty program, grants and founder support, and maintains community channels on X, Discord, Reddit, YouTube, Telegram and a forum.
The published 2026 roadmap has three stages: Bitcoin staking, in which self-custodial yield brings long-term Bitcoin capital on-chain; performance, where core developers target a 100x improvement in throughput and performance to support DeFi volume and AI agent activity; and Bitcoin-native finance, covering lending, trading, perpetuals and programmable capital.
Business model
Stacks operates as an open-source blockchain network rather than a product sold to customers, with an ecosystem of third-party applications building on it. STX serves as the network asset, described as the capacity asset for Bitcoin staking, and the project offers grants and founder support to builders.
Traction
The site lists an ecosystem of applications including Zest Protocol (Bitcoin lending), Stacking DAO, Hermetica (Bitcoin-backed yield-bearing synthetic dollar), STX20, Asigna (multisig wallet), BitFlow (DEX), Leather Wallet, Xverse, Ryder, Gamma (NFTs), Alex (liquidity protocol) and Owl Link. Reported milestones include Stacks going live on Fireblocks, Zest Protocol's Binance listing, UTXO entering Bitcoin staking on Stacks, and Hermetica filling a 75 BTC cap plus a further 25 BTC within 24 hours.
Latest developments
The Nakamoto upgrade has begun rolling out, and a PoX-5 hardfork upgrade was announced for around July 30, 2026. In June 2026 Stacks went live on Fireblocks with Bitcoin staking support signalled as coming soon. Earlier in 2026, Zest Protocol listed on Binance, UTXO began Bitcoin staking on Stacks, and Hermetica filled its 75 BTC cap. The 2026 roadmap prioritizes Bitcoin staking, a targeted 100x performance improvement, and Bitcoin-native financial applications.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market
Market position
Stacks describes itself as the leading Bitcoin layer-2 and frames its opportunity as activating more than $1 trillion in latent Bitcoin capital by giving builders access to Bitcoin's user base and security properties.
Stacks anchors smart contract execution to Bitcoin so that transactions are presented as being as irreversible as Bitcoin's, uses the purpose-built Clarity language with visibility on Bitcoin state, and offers sBTC as a decentralized 1:1 Bitcoin-backed asset alongside self-custodial Bitcoin yield via STX-based staking.
Technology
Stacks is a layer-2 network anchored to Bitcoin. Smart contracts are written in Clarity, described as a security-first language with visibility on Bitcoin state, and the network's mechanisms include Proof of Transfer, the Nakamoto upgrade and the PoX-5 hardfork. sBTC is a 1:1 Bitcoin-backed asset enabling movement of BTC between Bitcoin L1 and Stacks. Network security is presented as coming from Bitcoin, signers and audits.
Go-to-market
Stacks reaches users through its own site and documentation with segmented onboarding paths for institutions, users and builders, plus an ecosystem of wallets and applications, developer tooling and tutorials, grants and a bounty program, events, and community channels including X, Discord, Telegram, Reddit, YouTube and a forum.
Three audiences are addressed directly: institutions seeking Bitcoin yield at scale and exposure to STX; retail Bitcoin holders looking for wallets, staking and DeFi yield; and developers building Clarity smart contracts and applications on Bitcoin.
Compiled by commissioned research from 1 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Competitors · 9
by search overlap
Companies competing with Stacks Open-source network for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
Timeline · 7
launches, deals, and filingsStacks announced the PoX-5 hardfork upgrade, expected around July 30, with a site post dated July 28, 2026 outlining what to expect.
Stacks became available on Fireblocks, with Bitcoin staking support announced as coming soon.
Ecosystem protocol Hermetica filled its 75 BTC cap, with another 25 BTC filled within 24 hours.
Bitcoin Magazine reported that UTXO entered Bitcoin staking on Stacks, targeting BTC yield.
Zest Protocol, a Bitcoin lending protocol in the Stacks ecosystem, debuted on Binance.
The Stacks site states that the Nakamoto upgrade has begun rolling out.
sBTC, a 1:1 Bitcoin-backed asset allowing BTC to move from Bitcoin L1 to the Stacks L2 and back, is described as now live on Stacks.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 1
primary sources listed
- Stacks Open-source networkstacks.co · web
1 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Stacks Open-source network do?
- Stacks is a Bitcoin layer-2 network that adds smart contracts, written in Clarity, and apps secured by Bitcoin.
- Who are Stacks Open-source network's investors?
- Stacks Open-source network's investors include Big Brain Holdings, Breyer Capital, Compound, Digital Currency Group, Draper Associates, Ellipti, Fenbushi Capital, Hivemind Capital Partners and 8 more.