[Crypto projects](https://revain.org/projects/) › Starknet # 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 ## Key facts - **Ticker**: STRK - **Official site**: [starknet.io](https://www.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](https://www.starknet.io/blog/starknet-incident-report-september-2-2025/) | | 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](https://www.starknet.io/blog/starknet-incident-report-january-5-2026/) | 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](https://www.starknet.io/) - Docs: [docs.starknet.io](https://docs.starknet.io/) - Developer: [starkware.co](https://starkware.co/) - Source code: [github.com/starkware-libs](https://github.com/starkware-libs) - Governance: [governance.starknet.io](https://governance.starknet.io/) - Governance forum: [community.starknet.io](https://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](https://docs.starknet.io/learn/protocol/intro.md) - [Starknet Docs — STRK](https://docs.starknet.io/learn/protocol/strk.md) - [Starknet Docs — Staking](https://docs.starknet.io/learn/protocol/staking.md) - [Starknet Docs — Version notes](https://docs.starknet.io/learn/cheatsheets/version-notes.md) - [Starknet — Introducing the Starknet Foundation](https://www.starknet.io/en/content/introducing-the-starknet-foundation) - [Starknet — Staking phase 1](https://www.starknet.io/blog/staking-phase-1/) - [StarkWare — Starknet Alpha, now on Mainnet](https://starkware.co/resource/starknet-alpha-now-on-mainnet/) - [StarkWare — About us](https://starkware.co/about-us/) ## More in this section - [Pendle (PENDLE)](https://revain.org/projects/pendle/) - [Raydium (RAY)](https://revain.org/projects/raydium/) - [Sei (SEI)](https://revain.org/projects/sei/) - [EigenLayer (EIGEN)](https://revain.org/projects/eigenlayer/) - [Axelar (AXL)](https://revain.org/projects/axelar/) - [GMX](https://revain.org/projects/gmx/) - [All Crypto projects →](https://revain.org/projects/) ## How voting works Votes are anonymous and carry no text. 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