What Is Starknet?

Starknet is a Layer 2 zero-knowledge rollup that scales Ethereum by executing transactions off-chain and posting succinct validity proofs back to Ethereum mainnet. The proofs use STARKs (Scalable, Transparent ARguments of Knowledge), a cryptographic proof system that is post-quantum friendly and does not require a trusted setup. Smart contracts on Starknet are written in Cairo, a Turing-complete language developed specifically for STARK-provable execution, and the network's native asset, STRK, is used for governance and to pay gas alongside ETH.

Overview - Table of Contents
What Is Starknet?
Getting Started With Starknet
How To Get A Starknet Wallet?
Starknet Resources
How To Buy Starknet?
Latest Starknet News

Starknet is built by StarkWare, an Israeli cryptography company co-founded in 2018 by Eli Ben-Sasson, Uri Kolodny, Michael Riabzev, and Alessandro Chiesa. Ben-Sasson is one of the original co-inventors of zk-STARKs and the lead designer of the STARK proof system. StarkWare's first production product was StarkEx, a permissioned validity-rollup service that powers exchanges and applications such as dYdX v3, Sorare, Immutable X, and rhino.fi. Starknet, launched on mainnet in November 2021, is StarkWare's permissionless general-purpose rollup.

Cairo is the developer experience at the center of Starknet. Cairo 1 (and the modern Cairo language) is a Rust-inspired systems language compiled to bytecode that is executed by the Cairo VM and proved by the STARK prover. Cairo differs significantly from Solidity. It has its own memory model, type system, and standard library, which means EVM contracts cannot be lifted to Starknet without rewriting. To ease migration, StarkWare and partners have built tooling such as kakarot (an EVM compiled to Cairo) and Warp (a Solidity-to-Cairo transpiler).

The Starknet protocol architecture splits responsibilities across a sequencer (orders transactions and produces blocks), a prover (generates STARK proofs of the executed batch), and a verifier contract on Ethereum (checks the proof and finalizes state). Today the sequencer is operated by StarkWare while a decentralization roadmap (with proposals for staking, leader rotation, and validator participation) is being executed in stages. The STRK token plays a role in this through staking, which began rolling out in 2024 with delegated proof-of-stake-style economics.

STRK has a maximum supply of 10 billion tokens. It launched in February 2024 with a large airdrop to early users, contributors, and partner ecosystems, and is used to pay gas (alongside ETH), to stake to validators as the network decentralizes, and to vote on Starknet Improvement Proposals. The Starknet Foundation administers the token and runs grants programs for ecosystem developers.

Ecosystem-wise, Starknet hosts a growing set of DEXs (Ekubo, JediSwap, mySwap), lending protocols (Nostra, Vesu), perp DEXs, on-chain games, and account abstraction-native wallets. Native account abstraction is one of Starknet's distinguishing features. Every Starknet account is a smart contract by default, which enables multisigs, session keys, social recovery, and gas payment in arbitrary tokens without bolting on a separate AA layer.

Getting Started With Starknet

The fastest way to use Starknet is to bridge funds from Ethereum and try an app:

Step 1: Install a Starknet-native wallet such as Argent X or Braavos, and back up the seed phrase.
Step 2: Bridge ETH or USDC from Ethereum mainnet to Starknet via the StarkGate bridge or a third-party bridge such as Orbiter or LayerSwap.
Step 3: Try DeFi apps such as Ekubo, Nostra, or Vesu, or experiment with on-chain games and account abstraction features specific to Starknet.
Step 4: Acquire STRK to participate in governance, stake to validators as staking matures, or pay gas in STRK on supported applications.

How to Get a Starknet Wallet?

Starknet accounts are smart contracts, so the network uses native AA-aware wallets:

Argent X

Argent X is the most widely used Starknet wallet, built by the Argent team. It supports session keys, social recovery, multisig, and seamless deposits from centralized exchanges.

Braavos

Braavos is a strong alternative wallet with advanced security features such as hardware-backed signatures on iOS and Android, multi-signer accounts, and a polished mobile experience.

Ready (Argent Mobile)

The mobile version of Argent (rebranded as Ready in some markets) offers a smart-contract account on Starknet with social recovery, daily limits, and gasless onboarding flows.

Hardware Wallets

Ledger devices can sign Starknet transactions via integrations with Argent X and Braavos, allowing keys to be kept offline while still using Starknet's smart-contract account features.

Starknet Resources

How to Buy Starknet?

STRK is widely listed since its 2024 launch:

Centralized Exchanges

STRK is available on Binance, Coinbase, Kraken, Bybit, OKX, KuCoin, Bitget, Gate, and others. Common pairs include STRK/USDT, STRK/USDC, and STRK/BTC. Many exchanges support direct Starknet network deposits and withdrawals.

Decentralized Exchanges

On Starknet, STRK trades against ETH, USDC, and USDT on Ekubo, JediSwap, mySwap, and others. Wrapped versions of STRK and bridged STRK liquidity also exist on Ethereum DEXs.

After buying, STRK can be used to pay gas on Starknet, staked to validators as staking rolls out, or held to participate in Starknet governance.

Latest Starknet News

The most consequential recent developments for Starknet were the launch of the STRK token via a large airdrop in February 2024, the rollout of staking and progressive decentralization milestones, and continued performance upgrades that significantly increased throughput and reduced fees. Starknet's appchain framework, Madara, has also opened the door to app-specific Cairo chains anchored back to Ethereum via STARK proofs.

Ecosystem activity has shifted toward consumer-facing apps that lean on native account abstraction, on-chain games, and DeFi protocols designed around Starknet's cheap proving costs. Following the Starknet blog, governance forum, and official X account is the best way to track upgrades and ecosystem launches.