The First Step of the Nakamoto Upgrade Is Rolling Out
April 22, 2024
Today, the first of two hard forks that will bring the Stacks layer the Nakamoto upgrade went live thanks to miners, node operators, exchanges, Signers, and more. This means there’s only one step left before Nakamoto’s fast blocks, Bitcoin finality, and other improvements are available to everyone!
This release comes after over a year of design and development, community feedback, and rigorous testing that far exceeded any amount done for previous Stacks releases. Nakamoto is following a two-step rollout plan, the next major step being “activation,” slated for August 28. Once fully activated, Nakamoto brings a host of important improvements to the network.
The upgrade is a long-awaited one for the Stacks community and a milestone for the broader Bitcoin ecosystem. Bitcoin layers are bringing developers back to Bitcoin as it evolves into a secure base layer for experimentation and growth.
Thank you to everyone who helped bring Nakamoto to life, our attention now turns to the incredible builders as they look to bring new use cases to Bitcoin and eventually onboard a billion people to the world’s most secure network.
This release comes after over a year of design and development, community feedback, and rigorous testing that far exceeded any amount done for previous Stacks releases. Nakamoto is following a two-step rollout plan, the next major step being “activation,” slated for August 28. Once fully activated, Nakamoto brings a host of important improvements to the network.
The upgrade is a long-awaited one for the Stacks community and a milestone for the broader Bitcoin ecosystem. Bitcoin layers are bringing developers back to Bitcoin as it evolves into a secure base layer for experimentation and growth.
Thank you to everyone who helped bring Nakamoto to life, our attention now turns to the incredible builders as they look to bring new use cases to Bitcoin and eventually onboard a billion people to the world’s most secure network.
Getting started with Mainnet
Today’s Instantiation step introduces the new pox-4 stacking contract and will start a period where Signers can register on the network and get setup before the network becomes dependent on them to sign blocks.
If you’re wondering what to do next, you’re in luck. A brand new page has been added to the docs where you’ll find links to the various ways to engage with Nakamoto whether you’re a user, builders, signer, or other.
If you’re wondering what to do next, you’re in luck. A brand new page has been added to the docs where you’ll find links to the various ways to engage with Nakamoto whether you’re a user, builders, signer, or other.
The above docs are more exhaustive, but you can also find quick tips based on your user type below:
Stackers/Holders- You don’t have to take any action during the upgrade. Your STX tokens will be unlocked if you were Stacking, you may re-Stack them once pools come back online. Learn more: Nakamoto for Stackers
- If you use an exchange, the exchange may briefly suspend withdrawals or deposits. These periods are typically brief - please reach out to your exchange directly with any questions.
- If you are a solo stacker, you’ll either need to run your own signer or switch to delegating to a pool
Builders- Familiarize yourself with the new Stacks API changes
- Make sure you are using Clarinet version 2.4
- If you integrate stacking, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with a few additional things:
- The new stacking contract and additional parameters required for stacking functions
- New stacks.js functions and parameters for working with pox-4
- All of these changes are summarized on Hiro’s Nakamoto Upgrade docs page
- Signers
- You’ll need to make sure your signer is up and running and you are either stacking (solo or as a pool operator) or partnering with a pool operator such as StackingDAO and providing them your signer key so they can stack on your behalf.
- You can ping your ecosystem point of contact or follow the docs for more information.
Your Mainnet Resources
- Mainnet essentials: Docs, Explorer, API, stacks.js, and Clarinet
- Drop in for Office Hours
- FAQ: Check out the updated FAQ that covers Signer setup, Stacks Nodes, and Stacking updates.
Celebrate Together
Get yourself a Mojo PFP!
The Stacks Foundation has collaborated with Bitcoin Whales to bring everyone’s favorite orange block to life. The 1,000 piece commemorative NFT collection to celebrate the Bitcoin halving and the Nakamoto upgrade will be minting on April 25th - you can get on the orange list today!
Once you have a Mojo, you can join the community in flying your new PFP with the rest of the community. Mojo is a beacon for Bitcoin builders & layers over the world that are making Bitcoin a productive asset.
Join us at Building on Bitcoin and/or a launch event near you:
The Stacks Foundation has collaborated with Bitcoin Whales to bring everyone’s favorite orange block to life. The 1,000 piece commemorative NFT collection to celebrate the Bitcoin halving and the Nakamoto upgrade will be minting on April 25th - you can get on the orange list today!
Once you have a Mojo, you can join the community in flying your new PFP with the rest of the community. Mojo is a beacon for Bitcoin builders & layers over the world that are making Bitcoin a productive asset.
Join us at Building on Bitcoin and/or a launch event near you: