Stacks: Activating the Bitcoin Economy and Building the Open Internet

In the evolving world of blockchain, one mission stands out with clarity and conviction: activating the Bitcoin economy. At the heart of this movement is Stacks—an ecosystem that’s transforming Bitcoin from a passive asset into an active engine for innovation, value creation, and web3 development.

Backed by the Stacks Foundation, the project empowers builders, researchers, educators, and communities to use Bitcoin as the foundation for a more secure, equitable, and open internet.

🔗 Connect with the Stacks Ecosystem:

🧱 What is Stacks?

Stacks is a Bitcoin Layer 2 solution that brings smart contracts, dApps, DeFi, and NFTs to the Bitcoin network—without modifying the Bitcoin core.

It allows developers to build on Bitcoin securely using Clarity, a predictable, non-Turing-complete programming language. The result? A decentralized web infrastructure built on Bitcoin, not beside it.

The Stacks Foundation supports this mission by funding, educating, and coordinating efforts across the ecosystem.

🌍 Mission: A Safer, More Equitable Internet—Powered by Bitcoin

The Stacks Foundation’s vision is bold: to make Bitcoin the bedrock of the open internet. This means empowering builders with the tools, funding, and infrastructure needed to create user-owned alternatives to today’s centralized platforms.

🔑 Core Principles:

Bitcoin-First: Leverage Bitcoin’s unmatched security and decentralization.
Open-Source Driven: Champion open, transparent, and community-governed development.
Decentralization by Design: All ecosystem decisions are made through public, participatory processes.

💡 Programs Powering the Ecosystem

The Stacks Foundation delivers impact through a set of structured programs designed to empower everyone from solo builders to large organizations.

1. 🏗️ Grants & Critical Bounties

Providing structured funding for high-priority open-source tech development, security upgrades, and education efforts.

2. 👨‍🔬 Residents Program

Modeled after Entrepreneur-in-Residence models, this initiative embeds top talent into the ecosystem to drive innovation in high-impact areas.

3. 🌱 Community Development

From local meetups to global conferences, the Foundation supports events, partnerships, and community-led initiatives that grow the global Stacks movement.

4. 📚 Education & Capacity Building

Whether it’s through Clarity Camp, the Mintery, or hands-on workshops, developers and creators gain the skills to build meaningful products on Bitcoin.

🧠 Research, Governance, and Security

🔬 Research & Development

Support for independent researchers and contributors working on technical upgrades, new tooling, and user experience enhancements.

🗳️ Open Governance

Through the Governance Working Group and a decentralized upgrade proposal system, Stacks ensures that community voices drive development decisions.

🔐 Security First

Security best practices are deeply embedded in the stack. From audit support to secure software design, the Foundation takes a proactive stance on ecosystem safety.

🤝 Building a Collaborative Web3 Ecosystem

Stacks is not just building in a vacuum—it’s connecting the dots across the web3 space by integrating with:

💼 Custody providers
📈 Market makers
🔗 Infrastructure tools
🧾 Legal & compliance services
📣 PR & growth agencies
💡 Talent & resource networks

These integrations allow builders to scale faster and more efficiently while staying anchored to Bitcoin’s unparalleled security.

📌 Why Bitcoin Needs Stacks

Bitcoin is the most secure and widely adopted blockchain—but it lacks native programmability. Stacks solves this without compromising Bitcoin’s core values:

✅ Smart Contracts → On Bitcoin
✅ DeFi → On Bitcoin
✅ NFTs → On Bitcoin
✅ DAOs → On Bitcoin

By unlocking this potential, Stacks activates the Bitcoin economy and ensures it becomes more than just a store of value—it becomes a platform for innovation.

📢 Community Voices, Open Discussions

The Stacks ecosystem thrives on transparent conversation and grassroots collaboration. Whether you’re a developer, researcher, educator, or enthusiast, your voice matters.

🔍 Dive deeper into thought leadership and governance through the “Lead Like A Gardener” blog series, covering topics like:

Governance & decentralization
Security in ecosystem development
Community building & adaptability

📖 Read them on the Stacks Forum

🎓 Learn, Build, and Grow with Stacks

The Foundation’s commitment to education and empowerment means builders are never left behind.

🚀 From zero to deployed:

Learn Clarity programming
Participate in hackathons & bounty programs
Gain support from mentors and other devs
Get funded through Grants or become a Resident

🔗 Explore all the programs: Stacks Roadmap

🧭 Final Thoughts: Better via Bitcoin

The future of the internet doesn’t have to be centralized, exploitative, or insecure.

With Stacks, we are building an internet that is:

User-owned
Community-governed
Rooted in Bitcoin

If you’re ready to build a more open and equitable web, Stacks is your gateway.

Join the movement. Build the future. Activate the Bitcoin economy.