Stacks 2.0: Full Circle On Satoshi's Design

"…to be a completely separate network and separate block chain, yet share CPU power with Bitcoin."
– Satoshi, 2010

Once a passing thought about decentralized naming by Satoshi, the possibility of a separate blockchain that shares CPU with Bitcoin has been realized with today's launch of Stacks 2.0. This quote is now saved in the Stacks 2.0 genesis block forever!

Stacks 2.0 builds on years of work that has always taken place in close proximity to Bitcoin. From the earliest iterations of the project that embraced the Bitcoin blockchain, to Stacks 1.0 which was itself a virtual chain on Bitcoin, it seems that all roads have led to Stacks 2.0 master design, which is now natively connected and anchored to Bitcoin.

Full circle for Stacks has led us right back to Satoshi's original design. Stacks 2.0: A separate blockchain that shares consensus with and settles to Bitcoin, while allowing for expressive smart contracts and secure apps to be built on top. The properties that make Bitcoin powerful as a store of value can now be extended to other aspects to value settlement for our digital lives; in other words, a user-owned internet on Bitcoin.

Stacks 2.0 means new applications with new use cases, like DeFi and NFTs can be built directly on Bitcoin and be secured by it, thanks to Clarity. It means better onboarding experiences for existing apps with the launch of several new Stacks wallets. With Proof of Transfer, Stacks 2.0 also makes it possible for network participants to share in the value created on Stacks through mining and Stacking rewards. These are all features that were previously not feasible on Bitcoin alone. The Stacks network is truly extending the possibilities of Bitcoin's functionality.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Stacks 2.0, though, is the community that built it. There's no doubt that the mainnet you see today is the work of hundreds, if not thousands, of dedicated Stacks community members and partner organizations from all around the world. To the amazing Stacks community: thank you. The number of supporters and builders grows everyday and we can't wait to see what we accomplish together.

With the Stacks 2.0 infrastructure now fully built and operational, our work on building a user owned internet on Bitcoin can truly begin. This is the perfect time for app founders to take their decentralized apps to the next level, for developers to tinker with smart contracts, for entrepreneurs to testDeFi products, and for evangelists to spread the word about a different kind of internet experience—one in which users can own and control their digital assets, all while earning STX and BTC rewards.If you're looking for resources, you'll find all that you need to get started on stacks.co. If you're looking for a community to build with, we welcome you to join us on Discord or one of our many Telegram groups.

Once again, congratulations to the Stacks community! Today, we celebrate. Tomorrow, we build.