About StarkNet (STRK)

What is StarkNet (STRK) exactly?

StarkNet’s a Layer-2 rollup built on Ethereum using STARK proofs — basically, it bundles a ton of transactions off-chain and verifies them with cryptographic proofs on-chain. You get faster speeds and lower fees without losing Ethereum security. It runs on its own language, Cairo, and every account is a smart contract. Some call it Ethereum’s scale engine; others see it slowly becoming a multi-chain execution layer, even for Bitcoin.

What does the STRK token actually do?

STRK’s not a meme or speculative coin — it’s the network’s fuel. You pay fees in it, stake it, and vote with it. Sequencers can still swap to ETH to settle gas at Layer 1, but for users, it’s STRK that moves the network. Think of it as the coordination glue for governance, staking, and transaction flow. It’s also the token behind most community incentives and developer grants you’ve probably seen mentioned.

How is the supply structured?

Total supply is locked at 10 billion. The breakdown’s a bit crowded: 20.40% for early contributors, 18.17% for investors, 12.93% for grants and development partners, 10.76% to StarkWare, 10% for the strategic reserve, 9% each for community rebates and provisions, 8.10% for the treasury, and 2% for donations. The split feels balanced — heavy enough for the team and backers, but still leaving a third for ecosystem growth.

How’s the vesting actually rolling out?

Pretty slowly, by design. Early contributors and investors each unlocked around 43% so far, with another small batch coming up — roughly 60–70 million STRK every few weeks. Community provisions were fully released in early 2024. The rest trickles out through mid-2027. That slower pace calmed earlier concerns about massive cliff unlocks. Locked tokens can vote, but staking with them isn’t yet open.

Who’s backing StarkWare?

It’s a who’s who of top crypto investors — Paradigm, Sequoia, Pantera, Polychain, Multicoin, and angels like Vitalik Buterin, Fred Ehrsam, and Naval Ravikant. Across seven rounds they’ve pulled in about $282 million, capped with an $8 billion valuation in 2022. That’s not small change, and it’s partly why the project’s seen as one of the few zk-teams with both deep tech and serious runway.

Any notable programs or airdrops?

Definitely. The big one was the Provisions airdrop in early 2024 — hundreds of millions of STRK spread across 1.3 million wallets. Then came DeFi Spring, the Propulsion Pilot for game devs, and the BTCFi Season funding pool. Each round targeted specific sectors instead of just spraying tokens. It’s worth noting that eligibility rules were strict — one of the cleaner airdrops seen on Ethereum.

Where’s STRK trading these days?

You’ll find it on all the majors — Binance, OKX, Coinbase, Bybit, Kraken, KuCoin. STRK/USDT and STRK/USD are the main pairs. Liquidity’s deepest on Binance and OKX, while Coinbase handles a chunk of U.S. flow. Always double-check the network when you withdraw; some exchanges wrap the token differently, and that’s tripped up more than a few users.

What’s next on the roadmap?

They’re chasing speed and decentralization. Faster confirmations, cheaper fees, and the long-awaited distributed sequencer rollout. Also, native Cairo 2, better provers, and the Bitcoin bridge stack via Glock. It’s a lot — but the pace has been steady so far. You might wonder if they can really merge Bitcoin logic with Ethereum security… they seem intent on proving it, literally.

What should users keep an eye on?

Mostly the same old crypto mix: unlock pressure, adoption speed, and dev traction. The tech’s solid, but Cairo’s learning curve is real, and zk competition’s heating up. On the bright side, StarkNet’s community incentives and staking roadmap suggest it’s built for endurance, not a quick cycle. If Layer 2s were cities, this one’s a bit like Tokyo — dense, fast, and slightly ahead of its time.