Blockstack Community Guide
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Welcome
Welcome, this guide is designed to help you get off to a great start in the Blockstack Community. Our team is excited to welcome you to the community, please let us know how we can better serve you and we look forward to connecting with you somewhere really soon!
Who and What Is Blockstack, A Little Background:
Blockstack is a Software for a User Owned Internet. Blockstack apps give users direct ownership of their internet assets and protect user privacy.

Blockstack PBC, a Public Benefit Corp, was co-founded by Ryan Shea and Muneeb Ali to contribute to the development of the core open-source software. Blockstack PBC has offices in New York City, San Francisco, Hong Kong, and Toronto.

Blockstack PBC has raised $75M+ in capital to develop the core protocols and developer tools for the platform. We are grateful to have investors like Union Square Ventures, Lux Capital, Naval Ravikant, Winklevoss Capital, Digital Currency Group, Foundation Capital, Kevin Rose, and Michael Arrington amongst others.
Mission

Blockstack's mission is to enable an open, decentralized internet which will benefit all internet users by giving them more control over information and computation. We're committed to always support the decentralization of the Blockstack network and ensure that we build the network in a way that no single entity, including Blockstack PBC, has control over it.

We're based in NY, but have teammates and community around the world, you might even meet some of them this weekend, we try to be everywhere we can to support developers hands-on when they start new hackathon projects. If we're not in attendance, please join us on discord and our community of #engineers and blockstackers will gladly help!

We're committed to build a safer, more secure, and more user controlled new internet. We believe decentralization is key to personal freedom and to innovation. You can learn more about our technology and how to use below, we also recommend our whitepapers!
Initial funding to complete R&D & infrastructure phase

  • $75M+ raised from industry-leading investors.
  • 2017 - R&D and dev platform
  • 2018 - Launched Stacks v1 blockchain
  • 2019 - 360+ apps on the network + SEC-qualified offering
  • 2020 - Stacks 2.0 + further decentralization
Thanks for joining us!
Get Started: The Blockstack Browser
Take your first step into a user owned internet where you're the one charge of your creations and connections, always. The Blockstack Browser is the first place developers and users alike should start their experience with Blockstack and dapps.

→ You can download and install the browser right here - https://blockstack.org/try-blockstack

What is a Blockstack ID?
An online identity that you control. With the old internet, big companies own your login. With Blockstack, you own your login. Under the hood, Blockstack uses blockchain to keep everything secure and private.
Get Started: Community Resources
You definitely don't need to be a developer to be part of the Blockstack community, in fact, we're working hard to build out the ecosystem. Here are a few ways to be involved:
Join the Working Groups:
The Blockstack working groups are specialized community collectives focused on solving some of the greatest challenges within the Blockstack ecosystem. These groups meet regularly to discuss and work through the latest developments in Blockstack, including (but not limited to): the application of the Proof of Transfer mining mechanism to the Stacks 2.0 blockchain, the formation of a governance model for Blockstack, and the adoption of new business models for apps built on Stacks 2.0.

Get Started: Developer Resources
THE starting place for developers:
Always a work in progress, we've put together this page with what we think are the most important resources. For those so inclined, also feel free to jump straight into Github.

Key Links for Developers
Contributing to the Code
If you're interested in contributing to the project, we have guidelines here on Github. We'd love to have you! https://github.com/blockstack/blockstack-browser/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md
Testnet
The next major milestone towards Stacks 2.0 launch is a public testnet! Our community is the bedrock on which this project will succeed and grow, and testnets can be a great test bed for galvanizing working groups, driving collaborative action and momentum. Get involved and access the testnet at https://testnet.blockstack.org/.
App.co
We announced App.co, a universal dapp store for all decentralized protocols, at Consensus 2018. The site is live now and features Blockstack dapps built by our community. Feel free to share feedback on what features and improvements you would like to see in Github.
STX Token
  • STX are consumed when apps interact with Clarity smart contracts and users register blockchain-based names across hundreds of Blockstack apps. These apps provide user owned identity, data, and digital money giving users freedom, safety, and power.
  • If you'd like more information, feel free to check out our Token Whitepaper and Token FAQ.
Community meetings:
More Community Resources:
Feedback:
Is this guide missing something? Please let us know by emailing the Community team here at Stacks Open Internet Foundation - community@stacks.org.