Stacks Activates PoX-5, Enabling Bitcoin Staking and Native Finance
Stacks has successfully activated PoX-5, marking a significant milestone in its roadmap for Bitcoin staking. The protocol upgrade took place at block number 960,230 and was completed without any interruptions. According to Stacks' founder Muneeb Ali, this is the first step towards anchoring Bitcoin capital to Stacks.
PoX-5 introduces Bitcoin Bonds at the protocol level, enabling eligible participants to pair BTC held on Bitcoin Layer 1 with STX on Stacks to earn self-custodial BTC yield. The upgrade also simplifies the staking experience by removing cooldown cycles and streamlining pooled participation.
The network is now operating under the new PoX-5 consensus rules, and ecosystem contributors are continuing their planned rollout. Major exchange partners, including Binance, have completed their migrations ahead of activation. Stakers can expect to be able to restake well ahead of the upcoming cycle, with no staking rewards lost in the transition.