Starknet (STRK): how it works, supply and reviews
In short
- Type
- Ethereum Layer 2 validity rollup using STARK zero-knowledge proofs
- Initial distribution
- 10 billion STRK created by StarkWare in May 2022 and minted on-chain on 30 November 2022
- Risks and caveats
- Starknet describes itself as still centralised while staking is rolled out in phases; it is in the second of four phases.
- Checked
- 31 October 2026
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Key facts
- Ticker
- STRK
- Official site
- starknet.io
Key facts checked on 31 October 2026 against official sources.
What is Starknet
Starknet is a Layer 2 validity rollup (ZK-rollup) on Ethereum that uses STARK proofs to bundle many transactions off-chain and settle them on Ethereum. Its native token STRK pays transaction fees, secures the network through staking and is used in governance.
Network and consensus
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | Ethereum Layer 2 validity rollup using STARK zero-knowledge proofs |
| Consensus | Since v0.14.0 (1 September 2025) three sequencers take turns building blocks and reach consensus with Tendermint |
| Block time | About 6 seconds since v0.14.0 (previously about 30 seconds) |
| Smart contracts | Contracts are written in Cairo; every account is a smart contract (native account abstraction) |
| Proving | SHARP generates and aggregates proofs of block execution, verified on Ethereum |
| Launched | Starknet Alpha launched on Ethereum mainnet on 29 November 2021 |
Supply and issuance
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Initial distribution | 10 billion STRK created by StarkWare in May 2022 and minted on-chain on 30 November 2022 |
| Allocation | Early contributors 20.04%, investors 18.17%, StarkWare 10.76%, grants 12.93%, community provisions 9%, rebates 9%, Foundation reserves 10% and treasury 8.10%, donations 2% |
| Unlocks | Investor and early-contributor tokens unlock monthly; up to 127 million STRK on the 15th of each month until 15 March 2027 |
| Inflation | Total supply grows as the protocol mints staking and block rewards on a schedule set with the community |
| Staking rewards | Mainnet staking parameters: 20,000 STRK minimum for validators, 4% effective inflation coefficient, 7-day withdrawal lockup |
What STRK is used for
- Paying transaction fees; since v0.14.0 fees can only be paid in STRK
- Staking to secure sequencing, attestation and proving
- Voting on protocol changes, directly or by delegation
- BTC wrappers can also be staked to earn STRK rewards (since Q3 2025)
Who develops and governs Starknet
- Developer
- StarkWare, founded by co-inventors of STARKs, develops Cairo, the STARK provers and the SHARP proving service
- Founders
- Eli Ben-Sasson is co-founder and CEO of StarkWare.
- Foundation
- Starknet Foundation, launched 9 November 2022 as a not-for-profit independent of StarkWare, with a seven-member board
- Governance
- Major Starknet OS updates require approval of token holders; proposals run through the Starknet Governance Hub
- Decentralisation
- Starknet states it is still centralised and moving to validators in four staking phases; it is in phase two
History
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 29 November 2021 | Starknet Alpha launches on Ethereum mainnet. |
| 9 November 2022 | Starknet Foundation is launched with 50.1% of the initial token supply. |
| 30 November 2022 | 10 billion STRK are minted on-chain. |
| 26 November 2024 | Phase 1 of STRK staking launches on mainnet. |
| — | v0.14.0 introduces decentralised sequencing, ~6-second blocks and STRK-only fees. |
Security and audits
- Starknet's own STRK page warns that tokenomics, including total supply and distribution, may change by community decision.
- As a Layer 2, Starknet depends on Ethereum and on third parties that develop and operate its software.
Security incidents
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2 September 2025 | Network halt: Starknet's incident report says that on 2 September 2025, shortly after the v0.14.0 (Grinta) upgrade, block production was halted and two chain reorganizations were needed to restore normal operation, with about 9 hours of degraded or halted service. | starknet.io |
| 5 January 2026 | Network halt: Starknet's incident report says that on 5 January 2026 block production was halted and eighteen minutes of activity were reverted; Starknet was unavailable from 09:42 to 14:17 UTC. | starknet.io |
Further incidents are reported by third parties (press, incident databases) but are not confirmed in the company’s own channels, so they are not listed here.
Risks and caveats
- Starknet describes itself as still centralised while staking is rolled out in phases; it is in the second of four phases.
- STRK supply grows through staking and block rewards, and investor and contributor unlocks continue until March 2027.
- Starknet says STRK is not an investment and gives no equity or claim against StarkWare or the Starknet Foundation.
Official links
- Website: www.starknet.io
- Docs: docs.starknet.io
- Developer: starkware.co
- Source code: github.com/starkware-libs
- Governance: governance.starknet.io
- Governance forum: community.starknet.io
Questions and answers
What is Starknet?
Starknet is an Ethereum Layer 2 validity rollup that uses STARK proofs to batch transactions off-chain and settle them on Ethereum.
What is STRK used for?
STRK pays transaction fees (the only fee token since 1 September 2025), is staked to secure the network and is used to vote on protocol upgrades.
What is the supply of STRK?
10 billion STRK were minted on 30 November 2022; supply increases with staking and block rewards.
Who created Starknet?
StarkWare, founded by co-inventors of STARK proofs, built Starknet; the independent Starknet Foundation was set up in November 2022.
Is Starknet decentralised?
Not yet fully: Starknet says it is still centralised and is moving block production, attestation and proving to validators in four phases.
Sources
- Starknet Docs — Protocol introduction
- Starknet Docs — STRK
- Starknet Docs — Staking
- Starknet Docs — Version notes
- Starknet — Introducing the Starknet Foundation
- Starknet — Staking phase 1
- StarkWare — Starknet Alpha, now on Mainnet
- StarkWare — About us
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