The Bullish Guide to Stacking Sats

"Stacking sats" is Bitcoiner lingo — it means you're either buying or earning bitcoin. Earning is essentially buying with your time so stacking sats does a good job covering both cases.

In case you don't know, sats are fractions of a bitcoin.

In other words, 1 bitcoin = 100,000,000 sats.

One of the most common roadblocks I hear from people thinking about getting into Bitcoin is that it's too expensive. As "stacking sats" becomes more widely known, less people will be intimidated about getting some. Soon enough, you might realize that stacking tens of thousands of sats on a regular basis (versus saving in fiat) is the way.

Sometimes the best way to learn about something is to get some skin in the game. Stacking sats could be the spark that leads to wanting to learn more.

It's learning-by-doing followed by an insatiable curiosity to learn about this new form of money. If that sounds like you, then you're in the right place.

This guide will cover the best ways to get your hands on some bitcoin. Feel free to go in order or skip ahead.

Stack from a Bitcoin-only platform

The ones I recommend are River and Strike. Like a lot of financial apps, you'll have to submit personal information when creating an account. Once that's done, all you have to do is link your bank account and buy, you can even set up a recurring purchase (i.e. dollar-cost averaging).

Stack from an app you already use

Do you already use Venmo or Cash App? If so, you likely already have your bank account connected. All that's left to do is buy. Although this method might be easier in terms of your not having to create a new account for another app, the fees are a little higher — 2.49% and 2.25% for Venmo and Cash App, respectively.

Stack from friends or family

If you have a friend or family member who's a bitcoiner, chances are they'll be more than happy to help you. This could be as simple as you creating your own wallet, giving them cash, and their transferring the bitcoin to you.

Stack with satsback offers

This method is probably the easiest for some because it doesn't require changing much in your life. It typically involves signing up for an account, connecting a debit/credit card, and spending as you normally would. Instead of getting cash back, you'd get sats back by making purchases at common retailers like CVS, Starbucks, and Chick-fil-A.

Stack with your hardware

It used to be really hard to get your hands on a miner, but now there are many vendors and models to choose from. Check out my How to Get Started With Mining Bitcoin post to see how to get going for under $100.

Stack with your time

Of course, you can trade your time for some sats! You can do so by completing bounties, finding a job that pays in bitcoin, creating content on Nostr, reviewing Bitcoin products, or simply listening to podcasts!