WalletConnect and the Stacks Foundation today announced expanded support for the Stacks (STX) ecosystem, advancing Bitcoin DeFi and improving accessibility for users and institutions worldwide. This effort leverages leading blockchain infrastructure to provide secure, streamlined ways for users to stack STX and earn rewards.
As a top 5 ecosystem for bringing in new developers, according to Electric Capital, expanded access to STX stacking comes in parallel to the growing interest around building on Bitcoin.
STX holders now have more options than ever to participate in Stacking and access yield opportunities in Bitcoin DeFi. These opportunities are powered by WalletConnect, ensuring secure, reliable connectivity across platforms.
Key User Benefits
- •Multiple access points for stacking STX
- •Secure, reliable integration via WalletConnect
- •Enhanced interoperability and accessibility within the Stacks ecosystem
Industry Perspectives
“Bitcoin is evolving beyond just holding. With this launch, STX holders have a new way to earn directly through Hex Trust, using WalletConnect,” said Jess Houlgrave, CEO of WalletConnect. “It’s a clear step toward a future where earning, connecting, and building on Bitcoin is a seamless experience. By powering this integration with WalletConnect, we’ve made stacking simple. This is what usable onchain looks like – accessible by default, and powered by infrastructure that just works.”
“WalletConnect’s support makes Stacking easier to access and build into existing products. It opens the door for any app already using WalletConnect to tap into earning through Stacking with no new interfaces or extra infrastructure required. These types of practical integrations will drive the next wave of Bitcoin DeFi adoption. This is a great step toward Bitcoin applications reaching a level of infrastructure maturity and interoperability,” said Mitchell Cuevas, Executive Director, Stacks Foundation.
Hex Trust Integration and Market Trends
Hex Trust, a leading digital assets financial institution specializing in custody, staking, and market services, plans to expand access for their users to Stacks DeFi, as one of the first to integrate the WalletConnect SDK. This integration will make functions, like Stacks’ native BTC-yield offerings available directly to Hex Trust customers.
This development arrives amid a surge of innovation on Bitcoin Layer 2s, as users demand more utility and real-world earning opportunities from their Bitcoin. As of March 2025, the total value locked (TVL) across Bitcoin L2 ecosystems surged to over $4 billion, according to Bitcoin Layers, up from $300 million at the start of 2024; a 1,500% increase year-over-year.
Future Outlook
With Stacks’ vision of fully productive Bitcoin and WalletConnect’s cutting-edge developer tools, the expansion of stacking options opens up Bitcoin-powered DeFi to millions of users as well as institutions increasing both accessibility and earning potential across the network. To learn more about the SDK and building on Stacks, users can visit stacks.co.
About WalletConnect
WalletConnect, founded in 2018, is the connectivity layer for the financial internet, enabling seamless, encrypted connections between wallets and applications across ecosystems like Ethereum, Solana, Bitcoin and more. WalletConnect is used by traditional enterprises, custodians, institutions and onchain applications and wallets.
About Stacks
Stacks is the leading Bitcoin Layer 2 (L2) and the top L2 by developer traction, user activity, and market capitalization, helping unlock over $1 trillion in passive Bitcoin capital and making BTC a fully programmable, productive asset. Stacks enables smart contracts and decentralized applications to leverage Bitcoin as a secure, programmable foundation. With the Nakamoto upgrade activated in October 2024, Stacks achieved near-instant transaction finality and speeds on par with leading L2s, while retaining the security and irreversibility of Bitcoin L1. The launch of sBTC in December 2024 opened the door for developers and users to use native BTC in smart contracts, DeFi, and other Bitcoin-secured applications, including paying gas fees with BTC. The community-driven Stacks roadmap outlines key priorities for 2025 and beyond, including scaling sBTC capacity, major network upgrades, new DeFi and stablecoin integrations, and ongoing improvements to developer tools, security, and ecosystem growth. To learn more, users can visit stacks.co.