Overview
Starknet is a blockchain infrastructure project designed to scale Ethereum using zero-knowledge rollup technology, offering faster and cheaper transactions. It launched on November 14, 2023, and its native token is STRK. Starknet uses STARK proofs and a custom smart contract language, Cairo, to achieve high throughput with strong cryptographic guarantees.
How It Works
Starknet executes transactions on its own chain using Cairo contracts, then generates STARK proofs that verify the state transitions and posts them to Ethereum. STARKs are transparent and do not require a trusted setup, which strengthens their security assumptions. The network runs its own sequencer and prover infrastructure, with a decentralized validator set participating in consensus.
Why It Matters
Starknet demonstrates that a different smart contract paradigm, not just EVM emulation, can scale Ethereum. Its Cairo language allows highly expressive programs with cheap verification. Its trade-offs include a steeper developer learning curve and the current centralization of its sequencer, which the project is working to decentralize.
Related Concepts
Starknet is a ZK-Rollup using STARK proofs, related to zksync and Zero-Knowledge Proofs. It is a Layer 2 for Ethereum and connects through Bridges, competing with other rollups in the scaling landscape.