Should You Buy Stacks in 2025?

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At HelloSafe, our expert has been monitoring the performance of the Stacks cryptocurrency for over three years. Each month, hundreds of thousands of users across South Africa trust us to interpret market trends and identify the best investment opportunities. Our analyses are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute investment advice. In line with our ethical guidelines, HelloSafe has never purchased Stacks nor received compensation from any entities associated with its ecosystem.

Stacks in brief

How much does 1 Stacks cost?

The price of Stacks is down this week. The current STX price in South Africa is about R12.09, having dropped -6.8% over the past 24 hours and -10.3% over the last 7 days. Stacks holds a market capitalisation of R18.47 billion, with an average 3-month daily trading volume of approximately R2.43 billion, ranking #72 among cryptocurrencies.

There are 1.53 billion STX in circulation, representing about 0.12% of the total crypto market cap. With recent volatility and Stacks trading well below its all-time high, investors in ZA should monitor potential rebounds and stay alert to rapid market changes.

Our complete opinion on the Stacks crypto

Have we reached a pivotal moment for Stacks as its ecosystem undergoes a strategic transformation? Our in-depth review distills the latest trends and the evolution of the Stacks network over the past three years, triangulating data from on-chain indicators, technical signals, market flows, and competitive analysis through proprietary models. So, why might Stacks once again become a prime entry point in the Bitcoin Layer 2 landscape for 2025 and beyond?

Performance and Market Context

Recent Price Evolution

Stacks (STX) is trading at $0.6536, reflecting a sharp retracement from its April 2024 all-time high of $3.84. Over the last twelve months, STX has corrected by nearly 71%, yet its 24-hour trading volume remains robust at $131 million, signaling enduring market interest and liquidity—even amidst sector-wide risk aversion. Notably, the past quarter saw a downward trend, with monthly performance at -21% and weekly at -10%, accentuating a significant undervaluation relative to recent highs and projecting a potential reversion opportunity. Despite the current drawdown, the price has consolidated above the key support at $0.6243, suggesting early signs of stabilization.

Recent Positive Developments

Underpinning Stacks’ resilience is a series of strong fundamental and regulatory advancements. Chief among them: the successful deployment of the Nakamoto upgrade in Q4 2024, transitioning block times from 10 minutes to just 10 seconds and guaranteeing 100% Bitcoin finality. Equally crucial, the SEC formally closed its three-year investigation into Hiro Systems in July 2024, with no enforcement action—restoring regulatory certainty that is rare in today’s crypto market.

Macro and Sectoral Tailwinds

Stacks is strategically positioned as a leading Bitcoin Layer 2 protocol at a moment of renewed macro enthusiasm for Bitcoin programmability and DeFi. Growing institutional attention, particularly through its partnership with BitGo, signals an accelerating onramp for traditional finance players seeking Bitcoin-linked DeFi yield strategies. The positive shift in US regulatory climate and sustained institutional flows into Bitcoin L2 assets further fortify the investment case, while the global crypto ecosystem is pivoting towards scalable, regulatory-friendly infrastructure.

Technical Analysis

Key Crypto Indicators

• Relative Strength Index (RSI, 14-day): registers at 39.49, placing STX near neutral territory, but edging toward oversold—historically a zone of renewed buying.
• MACD & Momentum: While a bearish crossover was signaled in late May, narrowing histogram bars suggest selling pressure is abating, consistent with a bottoming structure.
• Long-Term Moving Averages: The 200-day moving average has sloped down since early June but could flatten should current support hold.

Support and Reversal Signals

• Immediate Support: $0.6243—has reliably arrested downside, validated by significant buyer defense during recent volatilities.
• Major Technical Floor: The $0.59–$0.62 band, representing 12-month lows and substantial high-volume node, is seen as a strategic accumulation zone.
• Key Resistance: $0.7135 (local top) and $0.89 (50% Fibonacci retracement from ATH).

Short to Medium-Term Momentum

Recent price action hints at a growing probability of reversal, as oversold signals converge with surging formation of higher lows and network data. Should STX reclaim $0.7135 on high volume, a squeeze toward $0.89 is feasible—mirroring patterns observed during previous recovery cycles. The setup appears conducive to a technical rebound, especially around scheduled protocol milestones.

Fundamental Analysis

Adoption and Ecosystem Expansion

Stacks’ network fundamentals remain impressive:

• Active Addresses: Up 62% quarter-over-quarter in late 2024.
• Transactions: Expanded by 27%, highlighting sticky user engagement.
• Network Revenue: Surged 117% QoQ, confirming higher on-chain economic activity.

These metrics, together with a rapidly growing TVL (currently $208 million), reflect a solidifying DeFi footprint and confirm that Stacks is more than a speculative Layer 2—it’s a productive, usage-driven blockchain.

Strategic Partnerships and Institutional Inroads

• BitGo Partnership: Affords institutional-grade custody and compliance, critical for onboarding sophisticated capital.
• Developer Ecosystem: Stacks leads all Bitcoin Layer 2 networks by developer traction, suggesting sustainable innovation velocity.

Valuation and Market Position

• Market Cap: $999 million (global rank #72).
• Fully Diluted Valuation: $1.19 billion, indicating a modest MC/FDV ratio of 1.0.
• TVL Ratio: With a MC/TVL of ~4.8, Stacks is comparatively undervalued vis-à-vis other high-velocity Bitcoin L2s.
• No Insider Dominance: No single entity controls more than 10% of supply, minimizing centralization risk—a key concern in this sector.

Technology & Differentiation

• sBTC Launch: The soon-to-launch 1:1 Bitcoin-backed sBTC asset will unlock programmable BTC apps, catalyzing capital flows and expanding Stacks’ TAM.
• Nakamoto Upgrade: Delivers unmatched transaction finality and speeds to Bitcoin’s security perimeter—a technological moat.
• Community-Driven Governance: Decentralization is hardwired into Stacks’ design, from token distribution to protocol evolution.

Volume & Liquidity

• Liquidity: Multi-hundred-million dollar daily volumes ensure deep order books and efficient entries/exits—even for institutional players.
• Major Exchange Listings: STX/USDT, STX/USD, and STX/BTC pairs are supported on leading exchanges, reducing counterparty and slippage risk.

Position Among Crypto Leaders

Stacks continues to assert dominance as the premier Bitcoin Layer 2 by both activity and value locked, making it a core infrastructure play for investors bullish on Bitcoin’s evolution beyond mere store-of-value.

Catalysts and Positive Outlook

Protocol Upgrades and Integrations

• Nakamoto Upgrade: Now live, dramatically improves finality, speed, and developer composability.
• sBTC Asset: Mainnet deployment expected imminently—institutional, retail, and DeFi participants are poised for new use cases in BTC-backed lending, NFT, and beyond.
• Regulatory Clarity: SEC’s decisive closure of its investigation is a major de-risking event for US and global investors.

Broader Adoption

• DeFi & NFT Expansion: Explosive growth in stacked DeFi protocols and cross-chain NFT interoperability could turbocharge TVL and daily usage.
• Institutional Capital: BitGo and other custody partnerships facilitate inflows from funds previously unable to access Bitcoin-native DeFi.

New Use Cases and Institutional Entry

• Programmable Bitcoin unlocks value beyond store-of-value, enabling yield generation, synthetic assets, and liquidity bootstrapping.

Macro Catalysts

• Potential for further Bitcoin ETF adoption, broader Layer 2 narrative, and improving sentiment in global crypto markets provide a powerful tailwind.

Investment Strategies (By Horizon)

Short Term (Weeks to 3 Months)

• Current Setup: STX trades at key technical support with momentum indicators nearing reversal.
• Tactical Entry: Investors could consider entries during technical dips towards $0.62 with stop-loss discipline below $0.59, targeting rebounds towards $0.71 and $0.89, in line with prior bounce structures.

Medium Term (3 to 12 Months)

• Catalyst-Driven: With sBTC’s imminent deployment and positive regulatory overhang resolution, price appreciation could be front-loaded into late 2025.
• Accumulation Zone: DCA strategies around the $0.62–$0.71 range may prove effective, especially ahead of major mainnet releases and partnership news flow.

Long Term (2026–2030+)

• Structural Drivers: The convergence of institutional interest, expanded DeFi TVL, and Stacks’ leadership in programmable Bitcoin point to multiyear value realization.
• Compound Growth: Positioning early in a framework akin to Ethereum’s DeFi wave could unlock asymmetric risk/reward over successive crypto cycles.

Optimal Timing

Given the deep discount from all-time highs and a convergence of fundamental, technical, and macro catalysts, Stacks appears to represent an excellent opportunity for strategic accumulation—particularly for investors seeking exposure to the Bitcoin Layer 2 paradigm with high activation energy on protocol upgrades.

Stacks Price Projections (2025–2030)

Is Now the Right Moment to Consider Stacks?

Stacks presents a compelling case for renewed investor focus, combining robust technology, real regulatory clarity, and clear leadership in the rapidly expanding Bitcoin Layer 2 sector. Its fundamentals—network usage, developer engagement, and fast-growing DeFi TVL—justify fresh attention at valuations unseen since early 2023. The catalyzing introduction of sBTC unlocks Bitcoin-native programmability, while confirmed partnerships and high liquidity make Stacks a liquid, institution-friendly trade.

The recent price drawdown, far from telegraphing structural weakness, instead reflects broad market risk-off sentiment—yet STX’s technicals and fundamentals are aligning for a potential new growth phase. For well-managed portfolios, the convergence of discounted pricing, expanding use cases, and improving sentiment means that Stacks could well enter a new bullish era.

Stacks remains a high-volatility crypto asset, offering excellent opportunities for dynamic investment—but proper risk management remains crucial. The surge in network adoption and regulatory clarity highlights the project’s ability to deliver rapid value creation. As macro conditions shift, selectivity is essential, but Stacks’ combination of protocol upgrades and ecosystem growth makes it an asset that justifies close attention from forward-looking investors.

Key support to monitor: $0.62 as immediate technical floor; key resistance levels at $0.71 and $0.89. The mainnet launch of sBTC—expected over the coming months—stands as a potentially decisive catalyst for Stacks’ trajectory through 2025.

How to buy Stacks?

It’s easy and secure to buy Stacks (STX) online through a licensed cryptocurrency platform, even from South Africa. You generally have two main choices: either buy Stacks directly and own the coins in a wallet (known as spot purchase), or trade its price movements using crypto CFDs, without owning the actual asset. Both approaches are widely accessible and come with their own advantages and risks. If you're unsure which method is best, keep reading—below, we present a comparison to help you choose the right platform for your needs.

Spot Purchase (Direct Ownership)

Buying Stacks at spot means you acquire the actual STX coins, which you can store in your personal crypto wallet on the platform or off-platform. This method is straightforward: you pay the market price plus a typical transaction fee (usually a flat percentage or set amount in ZAR, such as R70 per trade).

Example

Let’s say Stacks is currently trading at $0.65 USD (about R12 per coin at current exchange rates). With a R20,000 investment, excluding fees, you could buy approximately 1,666 STX coins (R20,000 ÷ R12). After around R70 transaction fees, your actual spend might be R20,070.

Scenario if price rises

If Stacks gains 10%, your STX holding would be worth R22,000. That's a R2,000 gross profit, or +10% on your investment.

Trading via CFD

Trading Stacks via CFD (Contract for Difference) means you do not own the actual STX coins. Instead, you take a position on whether the price will rise or fall, allowing you access to leverage. CFD platforms charge a spread (difference between buy/sell prices) and, if you keep your position overnight, a small daily fee.

Example with leverage

You open a CFD position on Stacks with an initial deposit of R20,000 and 5x leverage—your market exposure is now R100,000.

Scenario if price rises

If STX goes up 8%, your position gains 8% × 5 = 40%—that’s R8,000 profit (before fees) on your R20,000 starting capital.

Final Advice

No matter which method you prefer, always compare the fees, security features, and terms offered by each platform—they can vary widely and impact your returns. Your choice between buying real coins or trading CFDs will depend on your experience, goals, and risk appetite. For a detailed, up-to-date list of South African-friendly platforms, consult our comparison table further down this page.

Our 7 tips for buying Stacks

The latest news about Stacks

Stacks remains available to South African investors on major global exchanges with deep liquidity. Local crypto users in ZA can access STX via highly liquid pairs (USDT, BTC, USD) on Binance, Coinbase, OKX, Gate.io, and Bybit— all accessible from South Africa and compliant with enhanced KYC/AML standards. This ensures reliable access for South African traders and institutions, reducing friction for both retail and corporate participants seeking exposure to the Bitcoin Layer 2 ecosystem.

Positive regulatory developments globally strengthen STX’s credibility and attractiveness for institutional participants, including those in ZA. The closure of the US SEC’s investigation into Stacks’ key development entity, without action, provides important regulatory clarity; STX is not classified as a security, which offers reassurance to institutional and professional investors in South Africa who face uncertainty over asset definitions when constructing portfolios or launching new investment products.

Technical fundamentals for Stacks have strengthened with the Nakamoto upgrade and upcoming sBTC launch, positioning it as Bitcoin DeFi’s main Layer 2 protocol. The final deployment of the Nakamoto upgrade has reduced block times and improved throughput, directly boosting user experience, and laid the groundwork for sBTC—a programmable, Bitcoin-collateralized asset. This innovation aligns with rising DeFi interest in ZA, where local platforms and user bases have begun integrating with global DeFi infrastructure, raising the profile and potential adoption of Bitcoin Layer 2s such as Stacks.

Network metrics show sustained growth in activity and value locked, indicating growing ecosystem health and adoption prospects. Stacks’ network continues a positive trend, with daily active addresses and transaction counts up substantially through late 2024, while TVL has surpassed $208 million. This robust footing may attract South African developers and fintechs seeking scalable Bitcoin-based solutions, especially as local web3 development and enterprise blockchain projects multiply following regulatory guidance from the South African Reserve Bank (SARB).

Market conditions for STX remain attractive for accumulation, with leading analysts projecting upside potential for 2025 and beyond. Despite recent price declines (down 10% over the past week), long-term forecasts remain positive: consensus estimates suggest price recovery toward $0.85–$1.04 by end of 2025 and up to $2.82 by 2030, driven by Bitcoin ecosystem expansion and DeFi growth. For South African allocators, this risk/reward dynamic, combined with increased regulatory clarity and technological advancements, provides a constructive backdrop for portfolio diversification into Bitcoin’s Layer 2 sector.

FAQ

P. Laurore

Finance expert

Co-founder of HelloSafe and holder of a Master's degree in finance, Pauline has recognised expertise in personal finance, which she uses to help users better understand and optimise their financial choices. At HelloSafe, Pauline plays a key role in designing clear, educational content on savings, investments and personal finance. Passionate about financial education, Pauline strives, with every piece of content she oversees, to provide reliable, transparent and unbiased information for independent and informed financial management. To this end, she has tested over 100 trading platforms to help internet users make the right choices.