Roadmap New

Bitcoin Staking is the first self-custodial way to earn Bitcoin yeild.

BTC holders bond their BTC with STX and earn Bitcoin-denominated yield, paid from miner bids via Proof of Transfer (PoX). Your Bitcoin stays on L1 under your own keys, with no bridge required, no wrapped Bitcoin, and no slashing risk. It's how Stacks turns idle Bitcoin into productive capital.

This page tracks important dates for stackers, builders, signers, and institutions to stay informed.

The Rollout

MILESTONE

STATUS

DATE

Bitcoin Staking whitepaper

Shipped

May 2026

Whitepaper

PoX-5 SIP published

Shipped

June 2026

SIP Draft

Private testnet live

Completed

July 15, 2026

Testnet

Private testnet announcement

Shipped

July 15, 2026

View Post

SIP vote closes

Completed

July 21, 2026

View Results

Private testnet results recap

Coming

Week of July 21, 2026

Link on publish

Public testnet opens

Shipped

July 22, 2026

View Post

Hard fork: PoX-5 activates on mainnet

Coming

Target July 29, 2026

Guide coming before hardfork

Restacking: first PoX-5 cycles

Coming

From July 29, 2026

Link at campaign start

Genesis Bond: first BTC bonded

Coming

Late August

Announced here first

Dates marked "expected" or "target" depend on the SIP vote and final engineering readiness. Confirmed dates update here the same day.

What each phase does

Private testnet

Now

Integration partners validate the full mechanism (bonding, registration, yield distribution, unbonding) in production-like conditions. Cycles run at 720x speed, so core flows will have executed hundreds of times before any real capital commits.

SIP vote

Finalized July 20

PoX-5 is a consensus upgrade and requires community approval through the same open SIP process as every Stacks consensus change. Approval clears the hard fork.

Public testnet

July 22

Open access to test PoX-5 ahead of the Genesis Bond. The entry point for stackers and builders who want hands on time with the mechanism.

Hard fork

Target July 29

The network upgrade that activates PoX-5 on mainnet. Node operators and signers upgrade; a rollout guide covering exactly what happens to your STX publishes before fork day.

Restacking

From July 29

The first two PoX-5 cycles run STX-only as existing stackers re-enroll, before any BTC bonding begins.

Genesis Bond

Late August

The first real BTC is bonded and Bitcoin Staking is live end-to-end. Size, whitelist details, and opening date will be shared on this page.

Next Steps

Validate

Testnet exercises every flow before capital commits

Approve

The community ratifies PoX-5 through the open SIP governence process

Activate

The hard fork upgrades the network on mainnet and Stackers re-enroll

Bond

The first BTC enter Bitcoin Staking through the Genesis Bond

FAQs

Where does Bitcoin Staking yield come from?

From Stacks miners bidding BTC via Proof of Transfer, real economic activity redistributed to participants.

Do I give up custody of my BTC?

No. Your BTC stays on Bitcoin L1 in your wallet, locked via standard Bitcoin script, with no bridge or wrapper required.

What do I need to do before the hard fork?

For stackers:,nothing yet; watch for the re-enrollment window from July 29. For node operators and signers, an upgrade guide with version numbers and block heights publishes ahead of fork day.

When can I bond BTC?

After the Genesis Bond opens, following two STX-only PoX-5 cycles. The date will be announced on this page.

Did the SIP vote pass?

Yes, both SIPs (044 and 045) passed with over 99.99% STX in favour. PoX-5 will now ship with formal community approval through the SIP process.

What this means

For Stackers

Re-enrollment starts ~July 29. The restacking campaign will walk you through it (coming soon).

For builders and signers

The rollout guide will cover required upgrades (coming soon). Public testnet gives you hands-on time first.

For institutions

Bitcoin yield without leaving Bitcoin. The Bitcoin Staking Resources Hub covers mechanics, custody, and yield, or reach out to our team to request Institutional access.

The Bitcoin Staking Roadmap:
Milestones to Mainnet

Bitcoin Staking is the first self-custodial way to earn Bitcoin yeild.

The Rollout