Stacks Updates

The Bitcoin L2 ecosystem is heating up. They are emerging to address the demand for new Bitcoin apps and use cases. Ultimately, the goal is to build a digital economy around BTC. Nakamoto and sBTC upgrades aim to get the ecosystem one step closer to this vision.

February's here; time to flex your Naka•mojo• 💪 As the Bitcoin network continues to flourish, send a powerful message to the ecosystem. Participate in our monthly challenges for a chance to win fantastic rewards! 🎁 🎁 https://stacks.org/nakamojo

Another institution is dedicated to contributing to the decentralization and security of sBTC upon its launch. Luganodes will become an sBTC signer and Stacking node operator. Offering Stacking options for institutions will further strengthen the Stacks ecosystem. https://stacks.org/ludanodes-nakamoto-sbtc

The Bitcoin builder competition "Ready Layer 2" begins on March 8 The hackathon participants will enjoy many benefits: • $15,000 in prize pool • Advice from mentors • Interviews with BTC StartupLab • Featured in Stacks social media Register now: https://stx.is/cEe6V3

The Grants program provides funding for initiatives tackling crucial needs within Stacks More tools for community engagement, digital asset management, and beyond are in demand Here are the 6 projects chosen for the program pilot cohort 👇 https://stacks.org/degrants-pilot-cohort

Another startup focusing on Bitcoin DeFi completed a raise 🎉 Velar, which is building a Bitcoin perpetual exchange through Stacks, secured $3.5 million The time to build on Bitcoin and create new DeFi primitives and use cases is now ⏳

Nakamoto upgrade is set to launch between April 15-29 It will enable: • 100% Bitcoin finality • Faster and cheaper transactions • Establish the foundation for sBTC Join us tomorrow for an AMA at 6 PM CEST to discover more about Nakamoto: https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1gqGvQAynXpKB Moreover, here are more info about the launch date and what to expect from Nakamoto: https://stacks.org/nakamoto-launch-window

The next step for the Bitcoin ecosystem is making BTC a fully programmable asset Stacks is leading the way with: • Nakamoto will enable fast transactions with 100% Bitcoin finality • sBTC will facilitate the usage of BTC in Web3 and DeFi apps

Some news from the Stacks Snacks blog: • Arkadiko Finance teases their 2.0 protocol version launch • OKX published their Bitcoin 2024 outlook report, featuring Stacks L2 • "The Opportunity for Stacks" by Andre Serrano was published on BowTiedBull newsletter Subscribe now for weekly updates on Stacks ecosystem: https://stx.is/StacksSnacks28

The next Building on Bitcoin virtual event is on February 22 📅 It's your chance to explore the innovation occurring on Bitcoin, from Ordinals and BRC-20s to L2s and DeFi Sign up to join conversations held by Bitcoin leaders and builders 👉 https://stx.is/dqufSu

This week, the Stacks ecosystem shared some important news: • Bitflow Finance raised $1.3M to build Bitcoin DeFi • Stacking DAO reached 10+ Million STX in TVL • N21 prep program to support Stacks startups launched: https://n21.stacks.co/ Stacks keeps growing!

The Bitcoin network is evolving on various fronts: • Scalability thanks to L2s • Institutional adoption via ETFs • Tech innovation through DeFi and Web3 apps These developments will help Bitcoin reinforce its position as a leading digital asses

BTC has been perceived solely as a SoV for a long time But L2s are changing this narrative by expanding Bitcoin capabilities Bitcoin can emerge as a core infrastructure of the Web3 apps ecosystem It's Bitcoin L2s responsability to make this change a reality

Bitcoin market cap is almost 3 times that of Ethereum Yet, Ethereum apps TVL is larger than that of the Bitcoin ecosystem L2s present the unique opportunity to substantial grow the Bitcoin apps market size Through L2s, the Bitcoin economy can truly be activated

Bitcoin L2s are a response to Bitcoin limitations L2s like Stacks bring new functionalities such as: • Smart contract programmability • Increased transaction speeds • Data availability These features will help drive Bitcoin innovation and scalability

L2s are enabling to build a DeFi ecosystem on Bitcoin Download a developer guide to Bitcoin DeFi to learn about: • DeFi building blocks • More complex protocols • Bitcoin DeFi basics and primitives • Building your own DeFi app on Stacks https://stx.is/BitcoinDeFiGuide

Dive into the latest Stacks and Bitcoin insights • The The Spartan Group released a must read Bitcoin layers report: https://bitcoinlayersreport.com/ • Stacks stands out in Binance Research 2024 trends for Bitcoin L2 projects: https://twitter.com/binance/status/1748163506979967332 • Electric Capital developer report reveals a growing focus from Bitcoin devs on L2s: https://www.developerreport.com/developer-report

The yearly ElectricCapital report on developer activity has been released The research clearly highlights two trends: • 40% of Bitcoin ecosystem devs are now focused on L2 and scaling solutions • Stacks is among the biggest ecosystem related to Bitcoin in 2023