Stacks is a Bitcoin-connected smart-contract network, developed from the earlier Blockstack ecosystem, and STX is its native coin. STX is distinct from BTC and from sBTC, the Bitcoin-linked token used on Stacks. Current consensus documentation describes PoX-5, so older Stacking guides may no longer describe the active rules.
layer 2 Stacks
Stacks
(STX)
Stacks is a Bitcoin-connected smart-contract network, developed from the earlier Blockstack ecosystem, and STX is its native coin. STX is distinct from BTC and from sBTC, the Bitcoin-linked token used on Stacks. Current consensus documentation describes PoX-5, so older Stacking guides may no longer describe the active rules.
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What is Stacks?
Answer sources checked
20 answers source-reviewed with Codex assistance. Reviewed . This review covers the answers, not exchange listings or the rest of the page.
How does Stacks work?
Stacks uses Proof of Transfer: miners commit BTC for the chance to produce Stacks blocks, while STX staking participants help validate the chain. Under PoX-5, miner commitments fund a reward pool that auto-bridges into sBTC. Stacks has its own transactions and Clarity contracts; it is not simply an ERC-20 token or a Bitcoin wallet label.
Who created Stacks?
Stacks grew from the OneName and Blockstack work of Muneeb Ali and Ryan Shea, alongside other developers. A first-person interview with core developer Jude Nelson describes that history and its progression into Stacks 2.0. Today's open-source network is broader than its original founding team, and STX is not company equity.
What is Stacks used for?
STX pays Stacks transaction fees and supports consensus participation through Stacking or the current staking arrangements. Stacks applications use Clarity smart contracts, and some use sBTC for Bitcoin-linked activity. Holding STX does not mean holding BTC, and Bitcoin-denominated staking rewards are conditional rather than an automatic benefit of any wallet balance.
Where can you buy Stacks?
Check a platform's official STX market and Stacks deposit or withdrawal instructions for your location and account before buying. No current exchange listing is established here. A platform supporting Bitcoin or sBTC does not necessarily support STX, and native STX must not be sent to a Bitcoin deposit address.
Stacks exchange reference guides
Before you buy| Exchange | Observed pairs | Catalogue status | Checked (UTC) | Checklist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coinbase | STX-USD, STX-USDTCoinbase Exchange public spot catalogue, not Coinbase Advanced or retail account eligibility | Reported open | Check route | |
| Binance | STXBNB, STXBTC, STXBUSD + moreBinance.com global public spot catalogue; not Binance.US or regional/account access | Reported open | Check route | |
| Kraken | STXEUR, STXUSDKraken international public currency spot pairs plus Support full names and public canonical-to-altname metadata; not regional, retail, funding or account eligibility. | Reported open | Check route | |
| OKX | STX-EUR, STX-TRY, STX-USDC + moreOKX public SPOT instruments joined to the first thirty-eight global ALL market pages plus three existing category pages. Only explicit SPOT rows with matching API trade ID and base symbol supply names; stocks, swaps and unknown products are excluded. Bounded identity coverage, not regional/account, funding, contract or withdrawal eligibility. | Reported open | Check route | |
| Bybit | STXUSDC, STXUSDTBybit global public crypto SPOT instruments with empty symbolType only, joined to the provider-declared CoinGecko ID mapping and exact symbol/full name on its English price page. Price-page coverage is bounded; unmatched identities stay unknown. Not regional, account, funding, contract or withdrawal eligibility. | Reported open | Check route | |
| KuCoin | STX-BTC, STX-USDTKuCoin global public spot symbols and asset names, not account or withdrawal eligibility | Reported open | Check route | |
| Gate.io | STX_ETH, STX_USDC, STX_USDTGate global normal spot currency-pair catalogue and embedded full names from api.gateio.ws; premarket excluded; not Gate.US/EU/Dubai, account, region or funding eligibility | Reported open | Check route | |
| MEXC | STXUSDC, STXUSDTMEXC public spot exchange information; API permission is separate from catalogue membership and account access | Reported open | Check route | |
| Phemex | sSTXUSDTPhemex public product and currency-name catalogue; only explicitly spot-typed products considered | Reported open | Check route | |
| Bitget | STXUSDTBitget classic public spot catalogue joined to literal names/symbols from the first ten English price-table pages, each bound to its canonical and successful page-specific hydration query. Bounded name coverage, not all price pages or regional/account, contract, funding or withdrawal eligibility. Price presence alone is not a listing. | Reported open | Check route | |
| Poloniex | STX_USDTPoloniex public spot markets and currency metadata, not account or withdrawal support | Reported open | Check route | |
| BingX | STX-USDTBingX public spot symbol catalogue joined to exact full names/tickers from forty page-bound English price JSON-LD lists. First page has an explicit root collection URL; later pages require their own collection URL. Bounded name coverage; price presence alone is not a listing. Not derivatives, account, region, contract, funding or withdrawal eligibility. | Reported open | Check route | |
| Upbit | BTC-STX, KRW-STXUpbit Korea public spot market list; not Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand or account eligibility | Listed; execution unknown | Check route | |
| Bitfinex | STXUSD, STXUSTBitfinex public exchange-pair configuration and currency labels; not derivatives or account access | Listed; execution unknown | Check route |
How to buy Stacks
Plan your purchaseHow much Stacks?
How can you buy Stacks safely?
Verify that the asset is native STX, that the chosen venue supports Stacks withdrawals, and that the destination address and any required memo are correct. Review the full quote and custody terms before paying. PoX-5 staking is a separate decision with lock and signer-manager conditions, not a requirement for simply buying STX.
Can you buy a fraction of Stacks?
Yes, STX can be held in fractions: one STX equals one million micro-STX. Trading venues may set larger order or withdrawal minimums. Fractional ownership alone does not satisfy a staking service's conditions, and the protocol's aggregate signer minimum should not be confused with a minimum amount needed to own or transfer STX.
How much does it cost to buy Stacks?
Buying STX costs the execution price plus any spread, trading, funding, and withdrawal charges. Ordinary Stacks transactions use STX for network fees; Bitcoin-side mining or bond operations can involve separate BTC costs. A sponsored transaction can have another account pay its fee, but sponsorship is not guaranteed for every purchase or transfer.
How much is one Stacks worth?
Use this site's timestamped dynamic reference panel for the latest available STX price and quoted currency. The quote is a reference, not a guaranteed trade. STX is a separate market asset from BTC and sBTC; a Bitcoin-linked reward or application does not fix STX's exchange value.
Is Stacks a good investment?
STX has market, custody, network, and protocol-change risks; being connected to Bitcoin does not eliminate them. Stacking or bonding adds lock and signer-manager conditions, while sBTC introduces its own bridge and signer assumptions. No purchase size or BTC-denominated reward makes the position universally safe. This is not financial advice.
Compare two order previews
Use STX credited after buying fees and spread. Extra USD charges must exclude fees already included in the total. Enter 0 only when confirmed.
Which quote delivers more STX?
Enter your order-preview numbers or use the labeled example. Unknown charges are never treated as zero.
Stacks wallets & storage
How do you get a Stacks wallet?
Use a wallet that explicitly supports Stacks and native STX, selecting its Stacks receiving account rather than its Bitcoin account. The official wallet directory lists options with different custody and device features. Back up recovery material privately, and keep spendable STX for fees unless a confirmed sponsor pays them.
How can you store Stacks securely?
Protect STX recovery material offline, verify wallet downloads, and review transfers and contract calls before signing. A wallet can support both Bitcoin and Stacks without making their addresses interchangeable. Locked staking positions and sBTC exposure also have protocol risks that securing the signing device alone cannot remove.
Sending & cashing out Stacks
Match your networks
For STX, copy the exact network names shown in your apps. This compares your entries, not a verified list of supported networks.
Enter both network names
Copy the exact network name shown for this asset in each app. No supported-network catalogue is assumed here.
How do you send Stacks to another wallet?
Send STX through the wallet's native Stacks transfer function to a recipient that explicitly accepts STX. Check the address, amount, fee, and any memo supplied by the receiving service; consider a small test. An STX transfer is not a BTC payment, and sBTC is a separate contract token rather than a substitute deposit asset.
How long does a Stacks transfer take?
STX transfer time depends on Stacks transaction inclusion, chain operation, and the recipient's required confirmations. A nonce gap can leave later transactions pending until earlier nonces are resolved. Stacks block production and Bitcoin anchoring are distinct steps, so neither a fast wallet broadcast nor a Bitcoin block gives a universal crediting-time guarantee.
How much does it cost to send Stacks?
Stacks fees are paid in STX and depend on transaction size, execution needs, and the market fee estimate. They are not the BTC commitments made by Stacks miners. A sponsor may pay on a user's behalf, while an exchange withdrawal fee is a separate service charge; inspect the estimate for the actual transfer.
Can you cash out Stacks for real money?
To cash out STX, verify a service's official native-Stacks deposit support and available sell or fiat-withdrawal route for your account. Locked staking STX must become transferable under the applicable terms first. Do not send STX to a Bitcoin address or assume a service accepting sBTC can credit native STX.
Is Stacks traceable?
Stacks transactions are retained in public network history, including STX transfers and contract activity. Bitcoin connection and Stacking do not make STX payments anonymous. Addresses may be associated with identities through a platform's records or published wallet activity, and a transaction memo can expose information you choose to include.
Supply, mining & staking
What is the maximum supply of Stacks?
STX continues to be issued through miner coinbase rewards, so it should not be described using an immutable cap inferred from an old supply projection. Current technical specifications describe a PoX-5 bootstrap reward with no scheduled reduction and a later reassessment. Historical halving descriptions do not establish the active issuance rule.
Can you mine Stacks?
Yes, Stacks has mining, but miners commit BTC to compete for Stacks block production rather than solving a separate STX proof-of-work hash puzzle. Successful miners earn STX coinbase rewards and transaction fees under protocol rules. The BTC commitment and operating costs can exceed rewards; mining is distinct from locking STX to participate in Stacking.
Can you stake Stacks?
Yes, STX can participate in the network's Stacking or staking system, but current PoX-5 uses signer-manager arrangements and changed the reward waterfall. Rewards are BTC-denominated, commonly routed as sBTC; paired Bitcoin bonds are a separate path from STX-only staking. Old PoX-4 locks were released without automatic restaking, and PoX-6 remains a future upgrade proposal process.