#43 / InfrastructurestacksPartially verified
Stacks
A layer bringing smart contracts and DeFi to Bitcoin.
Token
STX
Sector
Bitcoin programmability
Category
Infrastructure
Organizations
0
Coverage
9/11
Live market data
STX market
CoinGecko data; may be delayed.
Tokenomics
Tokenomics data is unavailable for this asset right now.
On-chain fundamentals
This asset is not mapped to a DefiLlama-tracked protocol or chain, or the provider reports no data for it. When a verified mapping exists, the table appears here.
Why it matters
Stacks extends Bitcoin with smart contract capability without changing Bitcoin itself, settling its state to the Bitcoin chain and using a consensus mechanism tied to Bitcoin mining. Its sBTC design aims to let bitcoin move into programmable applications without a conventional custodial bridge, which is the central technical promise investors should evaluate.
General research guidance, not analysis specific to this asset. Detail is pending.
Track the real organization or foundation behind the token, not just the ticker.
Separate token utility from price action before building a position.
Compare network usage, liquidity, incentives, and governance quality against nearby competitors.
How it works
Stacks is a Bitcoin Layer-2 secured by proof-of-transfer: STX miners spend BTC on the base chain to win the right to produce Stacks blocks, which anchors Stacks history to Bitcoin's immutability. With sBTC live, users can move BTC onto the L2 through a decentralized signer network, making Bitcoin a fully programmable asset in smart contracts.
Token utility
Gas for smart contract execution on Stacks
Stacking to earn bitcoin rewards
Collateral and activity across Bitcoin DeFi applications
Value capture
STX pays for execution on Stacks, is staked (stacked) to earn BTC rewards that miners pay, and secures the network. As sBTC activity grows, STX demand scales with Bitcoin DeFi throughput — the token's economics are tied to execution demand on the L2, not to BTC's price directly.
Supply and issuance
STX has a hard cap of 1.818 billion with emissions following a Bitcoin-like halving schedule; most supply is already circulating. The cap is written into the protocol and enforced by consensus.
Governance
Upgrades are coordinated off-chain by core teams and ratified by miners and community processes; there is no full on-chain governance DAO. Stacking — the staking mechanic — is where holders participate economically, and sBTC signer set changes are a governance-sensitive lever.
Key risks
Bitcoin DeFi demand remains far smaller than on Ethereum or Solana
Competes with newer Bitcoin layer-2 designs
Bridging bitcoin into programmable environments carries technical risk
Frequently asked questions
What is sBTC?
A 1:1 Bitcoin-pegged asset on Stacks managed by a decentralized set of signers who watch both chains and process deposits and withdrawals. It lets BTC move into Stacks DeFi without a centralized custodian minting IOUs.
Why do miners pay Bitcoin for STX blocks?
That is proof-of-transfer: the BTC miners bid is distributed to STX stackers, converting Bitcoin's security budget into L2 security. The BTC payments anchor Stacks' history to the base chain — reorging Stacks would require reorging Bitcoin.
References
Last verified:
- Stacks | Earn Native Bitcoin Yield, Self-Custodial BTC
Stacks · stacks.co · primary source
The project's official site, retrieved on the date shown, supporting how it describes itself. It does not establish supply, governance or issuance mechanics.
Accessed
Linked organizations
MapPending linkage to a concrete organization on the map.
Relationships
Related to
Bitcoin
Adjacent asset in the same research context.
Directory suggestion, pending verification.
Related to
Ethereum
Adjacent asset in the same research context.
Directory suggestion, pending verification.
Related to
Kaspa
Adjacent asset in the same research context.
Directory suggestion, pending verification.
