starknet.io STARKNET

Starknet is a zero-knowledge execution layer built as a validity rollup, using STARK proofs to validate transactions executed off-chain while settling on Ethereum, with the stated aim of increasing throughput without sacrificing the base layer's security and decentralization properties. The network's native smart contract language is Cairo, and it implements native account abstraction, meaning every account is a smart account whose behavior is defined by developers rather than fixed at the protocol level. Application categories on the network include DeFi, NFTs, gaming, and consumer applications, supported by documentation, tutorials, tooling, wallet options and bridge instructions published on the project's site.

During 2025 the protocol shipped a series of upgrades: v0.13.5 (March) introduced stateful compression of Ethereum blob usage and fee reductions; the network reached Stage 1 rollup status in May, under which smart contracts replace centralized operators and users can withdraw without relying on a single operator, with a security council still in place; v0.13.6 (July) prepared compatibility with StarkWare's next-generation prover; and v0.14.0 ("Grinta", September) introduced a decentralized sequencer architecture with three sequencers in rotation (all operated by StarkWare at the time), pre-confirmation latency of roughly 0.5 seconds, block times reduced from 30 to 4 seconds, a tip-based mempool, v3-only transactions requiring STRK for gas with paymaster support for other tokens, and an EIP-1559-style fee market for L2 gas. In November 2025 the S-two prover was integrated into mainnet, described as delivering roughly a 100x efficiency gain over the prior Stone prover.

Starknet has also announced work outside pure Ethereum scaling: a privacy stack (STRK20) enabling shielded assets, private transfers and privately usable applications, including private Bitcoin (strkBTC); plans to become the first Layer 2 settling on Bitcoin and serving as a Bitcoin execution layer; staking and a dual-token security model including BTC staking; and interoperability integrations spanning Circle's CCTP for native USDC, LayerZero/Stargate, Hyperlane, Bitcoin and Runes bridges, Near Intents and RocketX.

Business model

Starknet operates a public permissionless Layer 2 network with a native token, STRK, which is required for gas fees on v3 transactions and is used in staking; transactions can be paid in other tokens via a paymaster. Third-party developers and applications build on the network, and the SN Stack has been opened to other builders and projects to deploy their own chains.

Traction

As of the January 2026 outage coverage, STRK traded near $0.089 with roughly $64 million in daily trading volume; total value locked was reported at over $797 million by one outlet and more than $266 million by another on the same date. Earlier coverage cited $548 million in assets on the network at the time of the September 2025 outage. Project materials describe growing staking metrics, an expanding BTCFi and privacy ecosystem, and a fast-growing Layer 2 developer community.

Latest developments

Privacy went live via STRK20, with strkBTC bringing private Bitcoin balances, transfers and DeFi usage to the network. The S-two prover reached mainnet in November 2025. On September 2, 2025 the network suffered an outage of roughly two to three hours following the Grinta upgrade, and on January 5, 2026 block production halted for about four hours (09:53–14:02 UTC) after a proving error on a transaction; sequencers were paused and the chain was reverted to block 5,187,263, with transactions submitted between 09:24 and 09:42 UTC possibly not processed correctly. A full retrospective with root cause analysis was promised. Full decentralization of sequencing, with validators running their own sequencers, is slated for 2026, alongside progress toward Stage 2 rollup status and plans for Starknet to serve as an execution layer for Bitcoin.