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North Rock Digital, a player in the digital assets hedge fund arena, recently made a bold prediction regarding the altcoin Stacks (STX). In a statement released on X, the fund highlighted its investment strategy and reasoning for STX being the best altcoin to long at the moment.
“When looking for long ideas, we target those with strong fundamentals, supportive tokenomics, and significant upcoming catalysts. STX stands out with the most compelling catalyst path over the next few months and the greatest chance to rerate,” the fund stated.
In-Depth Analysis Of Stacks’ Prospects
North Rock Digital’s full thesis, published on Medium, delves into the details underpinning their positive outlook on STX. The thesis asserts, “Key developments have brought our initial STX thesis into further focus […] demand for Bitcoin block-space has solidified, increasing the demand for the product STX is building.”
Significant is the Nakamoto upgrade, scheduled before the Bitcoin halving in April. This upgrade is seen as a pivotal moment for STX, promising dramatic improvements in speed and efficiency, including 5-second block times and support for sBTC, a secure version of wrapped Bitcoin. This development, according to North Rock Digital, positions STX closer to being a true Bitcoin L2.
The hedge fund also points out the broader context within the Bitcoin ecosystem that favors STX. The rising demand for Bitcoin’s block space, notably with a 50x spike in network average gas fees this year, alongside the development of Ordinals, indicates a growing interest in utilizing Bitcoin beyond just a store of value. These developments, coupled with the anticipated US spot Bitcoin ETF approval, are expected to boost the demand for STX’s offerings.
Furthermore, STX has been somewhat overlooked recently, providing what North Rock Digital sees as a unique investment opportunity. “Despite these positive developments, attention on STX has declined […] leaving us with a unique opportunity,” the thesis elaborates. Notably, the Stacks developer team’s progress towards the Nakamoto upgrade is on track, with the Mockamoto milestone already completed.
The fund also emphasizes Stacks’ international partnerships and upcoming initiatives. These include the launch of a marketing campaign in Asia and the roll-out of the second Nakamoto testnet by January. “Stacks is expanding their footprint globally… They will run a marketing campaign to raise awareness for Bitcoin L2s in the first quarter of ’24 with a focus in South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai,” the fund explains.
“Stacks is expanding their footprint globally… They will run a marketing campaign to raise awareness for Bitcoin L2s in the first quarter of ’24 with a focus in South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai,” the hedge fund explained. Moreover, the introduction of new Bitcoin L1 tools like BitVM is also seen as a significant step towards realizing a true Bitcoin L2 vision without needing changes to Bitcoin L1.
STX Valuation
In terms of valuation, STX is currently seen as undervalued, especially when compared to other L1/L2 ecosystems. With the Nakamoto upgrade and the proximity to the next BTC halving, STX is expected to narrow its valuation discount relative to other assets, North Rock Digital claims.
Post-Nakamoto, STX is anticipated to enable a range of applications, including a performant BTC-denominated NFT marketplace and traditional DeFi applications. The potential for these applications, combined with the strong BTC-centric community of STX, presents a compelling case for its future growth.
At press time, STX stood near its yearly high and was trading at $1.15.
