Starknet is an Ethereum L2 Scaling Solution aimed at providing zero knowledge, which is one of the strongest reason and development of the narrative zk-rollup, Starknet as a zk-rollup and not as a zkEVM, has its own benefit to the chain and users.

Previous zk-rollups have used a technology called zk-SNARKS. However, Starknet’s innovation is called the Scalable, Transparent Argument of Knowledge (STARK). A zk-STARK uses two components—sequencers and provers—to mathematically validate transactions, create a STARK proof, and then communicate with smart contracts on Ethereum’s mainnet to formally record transactions. Starknet also uses its own coding language called Cairo, which is intended to make development more accessible to programmers.

Most blockchains adopt the strategy of a zero knowledge providence that comes with the development of the blockchain and its Dapps on Solidity, while Starknet made its own path with the creation of Cairo, a unique language for the zk-rollup narrative.

As Cairo is a new programming language, developers that would like to start coding for Starknet may be put off from doing so as they would have to learn Cairo. Luckily smart contracts written for Ethereum can be converted into Cairo using a “transpiler”, like Nethermind’s Warp, but they won’t be fully optimized for Starknet.

Pillar Behind Starknet Blockchain

Starknet has been developed by StarkWare, the team behind StarkEx and STARKs. StarkEx is another type of scaling solution for Ethereum, but it is designed for specific applications, whereas Starknet is designed to be general purpose.

StarkWare has received funding from the Ethereum Foundation and top-tier investors, such as Paradigm, Sequoia, and Vitalik Buterin.

Starknet has been live since November 2021.

StarkWare’s first product was StarkEx, a permissioned scaling solution introduced in 2020 that uses the same zk-STARK technology behind Starknet.