Stacks Activates PoX-5, Paving Way for Bitcoin Staking
Stacks has successfully activated PoX-5, a network upgrade that establishes the protocol foundation for Bitcoin Staking. This milestone was achieved on July 30th, 2026, with the activation of the new consensus rules at Bitcoin block 960,230.
The upgrade was completed without interruption, with core contributors verifying the activation following post-upgrade checks. Major exchange partners, including Binance, had already migrated ahead of time, and staking pool operators are now completing their migrations.
According to Muneeb Ali, Founder of Stacks, PoX-5 marks the first step in anchoring Bitcoin capital to Stacks, and he is excited to see the network transition as they look ahead to the first institutional Genesis bond. PoX-5 introduces Bitcoin Bonds at the protocol level, allowing eligible participants to pair BTC held on Bitcoin Layer 1 with STX on Stacks to earn self-custodial BTC yield.
The rollout of Bitcoin Bonds will begin through a phased approach, starting with the institutional Genesis Bond and expanding access through selected staking pools as capacity grows. The network is now operating under the new PoX-5 consensus rules, with ecosystem contributors continuing their planned rollout.