A type of Wnt signaling pathway in which Wnt binding to its receptor on the surface of a target cell results in the by propagation of the molecular signals via beta-catenin, and end with a change in transcription of target genes. In this pathway, the activated receptor signals via downstream effectors that result in the inhibition of beta-catenin phosphorylation, thereby preventing degradation of beta-catenin. Stabilized beta-catenin can then accumulate and travel to the nucleus to trigger changes in transcription of target genes. [ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11532397 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19619488 ]