Stacking minimum commitment refers to the minimum amount of STX tokens a user must commit to participate in earning rewards through the Stacking mechanism on the Stacks blockchain. This threshold plays a critical role in determining who is eligible to contribute to the network’s Proof of Transfer (PoX) consensus and earn Bitcoin or other rewards in return.
At the protocol level, Stacking requires participants to control enough STX to qualify for at least one reward slot. This threshold is dynamic and depends on total network participation in a given cycle. As of recent cycles, the protocol minimum has floated around 100,000 STX. Meeting this on your own is often impractical for individual users, which is why pooled Stacking has become the default method for most.
Pooled Stacking removes this high barrier by allowing users to combine their STX with others through a Stacking pool. The pool itself meets the protocol minimum, while each individual user contributes only a portion of that amount. This makes it possible to Stack with much smaller holdings—commonly as low as 50 to 500 STX, depending on the pool’s rules.
Each pool defines its own minimum STX requirement based on factors like operating costs, network efficiency, and reward slot availability. Some pools may accept any amount over a low threshold (e.g. 10 STX), while others set higher minimums to maintain performance. These minimums are enforced at the pool level—not by the protocol—and can vary over time.
In Leather, these pool-specific minimums are presented clearly before you commit. Whether you’re using a native pool integration or connecting with an external protocol, you’ll always see the current minimum STX amount required to participate. If your balance is below that threshold, you won’t be able to join the pool until you increase your STX holdings.
Liquid Stacking introduces more flexibility. In these protocols, your STX is deposited into a smart contract that manages the actual Stacking process. You receive a synthetic token in return (like stSTX or stkSTX), which represents your stacked position and continues earning rewards. Most liquid Stacking protocols have no strict minimum, or set very low minimums—sometimes under 1 STX—to maximize accessibility.
However, even in liquid Stacking, the protocol behind the scenes must still aggregate enough STX across all users to meet PoX requirements. If the system doesn't collectively reach the needed threshold, rewards may not be earned for that cycle. This makes it important to track protocol-level performance as well as individual access.
By surfacing real-time minimums and partner integrations, Leather helps users of all sizes Stack efficiently. Whether you're holding 100 STX or 10,000, you can see which pools or liquid protocols accept your amount and start earning Bitcoin or other token rewards with just a few clicks.
Understanding the minimum STX amount required is key to accessing the yield opportunities available in the Stacks ecosystem. Leather ensures that this information is always transparent, up-to-date, and easy to act on—so you can participate with confidence, regardless of how much STX you hold.
