Starknet at a glance.
StarkNet uses STARKs, a family of zero-knowledge proofs that do not require a trusted setup, to verify batches of transactions on Ethereum. Its Cairo programming language is designed from the ground up to be efficiently provable, giving developers tools to write verifiable programs beyond simple token transfers.
$196.8M
Value locked in DeFi protocols on Starknet. Updated Jun 2, 2026. Source: DefiLlama.
STRK
Used for fees and securing the network. See the live STRK price.
How Starknet works.
StarkNet executes transactions in the Cairo VM off-chain and generates STARK proofs that are sent to a verifier contract on Ethereum. STARKs are post-quantum resistant and do not require a trusted setup ceremony, which distinguishes them from SNARK-based systems. The STRK token launched in February 2024 and is used for transaction fees alongside ETH.
StarkNet executes transactions in the Cairo VM off-chain and generates STARK proofs that are sent to a verifier contract on Ethereum. STARKs are post-quantum resistant and do not require a trusted setup ceremony, which distinguishes them from SNARK-based systems. The STRK token launched in February 2024 and is used for transaction fees alongside ETH.
Cairo programming language
Cairo is a Turing-complete language designed to write programs whose execution can be efficiently proven with STARKs. It differs from Solidity and requires learning a new paradigm, but enables provable computation that Solidity cannot express.
STARK proofs
STARK proofs are transparent (no trusted setup), post-quantum resistant, and highly scalable. The proof size and verification cost grow logarithmically with computation size, making very large batches efficient.
Account abstraction
Like zkSync Era, every account on StarkNet is a smart contract. This is built into the protocol rather than added as an extension, enabling advanced wallet features by default.
STRK token
STRK was distributed to early community members and contributors in early 2024. It is used for gas fees and for staking in the decentralized sequencer model StarkWare is building toward.
What Starknet is used for.
StarkNet has a growing DeFi ecosystem built largely with Cairo contracts, including DEXs, lending markets, and applications that take advantage of provable computation for novel use cases.
DeFi with cryptographic proofs
Swap, lend, and earn yield on StarkNet. Fees are lower than Ethereum mainnet and every state change is verified by a STARK proof on Ethereum.
Provable gaming
Cairo enables on-chain games where game logic can be proven correct, opening up fully verifiable game mechanics that are not possible with optimistic execution.
Identity and credentials
StarkNet's proof system can validate credentials and identity claims without revealing the underlying data, useful for privacy-preserving applications.
Large-scale computation
STARK proofs scale well with batch size, so StarkNet is well suited to applications that need to verify large amounts of computation on Ethereum.
Hold, swap and spend STRK.
Starknet is integrated in the Zypto App. Hold STRK in self-custody, swap it to any supported asset, and use it across Zypto’s features.
Be the reason Starknet ships next.
Starknet isn’t in the Zypto App yet. Post the request to your followers, chains with the most demand get prioritised.
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