What is a stack (STX)?

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April 10th What is a stack (STX)?

Posted on April 10, 2025
In education, tokens
By Ricardom

The Stacks network acts as a Layer 2 solution for Bitcoin, allowing you to use smart contracts and decentralized applications (DAPP) on the Bitcoin blockchain. Its design introduces features commonly associated with other blockchain platforms like Ethereum, while highlighting the security and robustness of Bitcoin. By acting as separate layers, stacks allow developers to build Bitcoin without changing their core structure and create an extended environment that takes advantage of the decentralised and unreliable nature of Bitcoin.

The stack is unique among the Bitcoin layer because of the independent token STX, which encourages block production and network maintenance that is different from the Bitcoin primary chain. This token model addresses the need for incentive validation while maintaining the simplicity of Bitcoin at the base layer. Furthermore, Stacks differs from other Bitcoin scalability solutions such as Lightning Networks as it maintains a persistent state that is essential for running applications that require data consistency, such as Smart Contracts, as opposed to temporary designs focusing on Lightning transactions.

Another important feature of the stack is to make Bitcoin a productive asset of Decentralized Financial (DEFI) without being wrapped in third-party custodians or non-vitocoin chains. By pinning Bitcoin’s security and using a token-based incentive structure, Stacks enables applications that enhance Bitcoin utility, extending its role from a valuable repository to a decentralized financial product base. This setup facilitates the innovation of Bitcoin’s network without introducing complexity and security risks that directly add programmerity to Bitcoin’s core protocols.

Stacks is hoping to create a scalable ecosystem that utilizes Bitcoin as a decentralized financial foundation, ensuring a future where financial applications and software are locked into Bitcoin security. This layered approach ensures that Bitcoin retains its original simplicity, while Stacks brings a high degree of programmerism, making Bitcoin the basis for a wide range of decentralized applications and financial services.

What is an STX token?

STX tokens play a central role in the Stacks ecosystem, providing incentives and resources for network participants to secure and grow their Layer 2 platform. Unlike Bitcoin, which is only valuable stores and decentralized currencies, STX is designed to support Stacks’ unique features and economic incentives. This includes protecting the network through a mechanism called the mechanism (POX), in which STX owners can “stack” tokens and earn Bitcoin rewards. By committing STX, participants maintain the integrity of their stack blockchain, indirectly support the Bitcoin Layer 2 ecosystem, and blend the Bitcoin security model with new economic incentives for developers and users.

The POX mechanism is one of the innovative ways in which STX enhances the capabilities of STCSS networks by adjusting incentives between the two networks. Through POX, STX owners participate in the consensus process that will allow Bitcoin workplace certification security to act as a separate chain. This not only strengthens Stacks’ decentralized framework, but also encourages the tougher economic ties between Bitcoin and the stack, as the network can reward Bitcoin STX owners. This structure encourages active participation in securing networks without the need for proof-of-mining of traditional work. This otherwise puts a strain on resources and adds complexity.

STX also provides the main fuel to run transactions and promotes ecosystem growth by deploying smart contracts in the stack. Whenever a user interacts with DAPP or initiates a smart contract operation on the network, STX is used to cover transaction fees to ensure that the network remains operational and secure. By assigning costs to transaction processing, the ecosystem blocks spam transactions and encourages efficient use, as well as ETH’s use for Ethereum gas charges. This makes STX essential to network capabilities and utilities, supporting Stacks’ broader goal of scaling Bitcoin use cases without compromising basic security and decentralization.

STX encourages a wider developer and user community by providing staking and investment opportunities. Developers are incentivized to build applications through their economic design, as STX rewards help offset the costs and efforts associated with platform deployment. For investors and ecosystem participants, STX offers a way to take part in the growth of Bitcoin’s Layer 2 expansion, creating economic value related to network success. By using STX as a tool for both infrastructure support and economic growth, the Stacks ecosystem is positioned as a flexible, Bitcoin-powered environment for decentralized innovation.

STX Tokenomics

The Stacks STX token was launched in 2021, and the Genesis block created an initial supply of 1.32 billion tokens, strategically distributed to promote ecosystem growth and development. Of this initial distribution, 32% were allocated through token sales in 2017, while the remaining tokens were directed towards the Stacks Ecosystem Fund (28%), Hiro PBC (25%), and Stacks Foundation (15%). This allocation strategy was structured to ensure balanced funding for development, community initiatives and operational costs, supporting long-term ecosystem sustainability.

The new STX tokens are minted in each block, primarily as rewards for miners and stackers, with annual inflation rates initially set at 10% and expected to drop by 0.5% per year until the stable rate reaches 2.5%. This progressive inflation reduction aims to reward early adopters while maintaining a controlled supply of tokens for the future. Over the course of 20 years, the system will lead to the ultimate STX supply of around 2.04 billion people, encouraging network participation and providing a predictable token technological structure to support a sustainable token ecosystem.

How to buy STX with crypto

1. Log in or sign up to create a Bitfinex account.

2. You will be taken to the deposit page.

3. In the CryptoCurrencies section, select the cryptography you plan to purchase STX and generate a deposit address in your Exchange wallet.

4. Send Crypto to the generated deposit address.

5. Once your funds arrive in your wallet, you can exchange them for STX. Learn how to trade with Bitfinex here.

How to Buy STX with Fiat

1. Log in or sign up to create a Bitfinex account.

2. To have Fiat deposited into your Bitfinex account, you must obtain a full verification. Here you will learn about the various levels of verification.

3. On the Deposit page, under the Bank Wire menu, select the Fiat currency for your deposit. Bitfinex’s Fiat deposits have a minimum amount. Click here for details.

4. For more information about the wire, please check the Bitfinex registration email.

5. I’ll send you the funds.

6. Once your funds arrive in your wallet, you can use them to purchase STX.

Additionally, since you have BitFinex on your mobile, you can easily purchase STX currency while you’re out.