Starknet Achieves 500x Lower Gas Fees Than Ethereum L1

**Native USDC is now live on Starknet** as the canonical stablecoin, replacing USDC.e through a comprehensive ecosystem-wide migration. **Migration Options:** - **StarkGate Portal**: 1-click, gas-free, 1:1 conversion with zero slippage - **AVNU**: Auto-routing to best rates between migration contract and native pools - **Wallet Integration**: Braavos, Xverse, and Keplr offer direct migration prompts **Key Features:** - **Vesu**: Full 1-click migration for entire positions including collateral and debt - **Ekubo**: USDC.e/USDC liquidity pool ensures smooth transition swaps - **Extended**: Automatic migration with zero user impact required - **Ready**: Direct migration through mobile app for card users The migration process is designed to be simple and well-supported across the entire Starknet ecosystem, with multiple pathways available depending on user preferences and wallet choice.

**Ethereum successfully deployed the Fusaka upgrade**, marking a significant milestone in the network's scaling journey. The upgrade delivers: - Enhanced scaling capabilities - Maintained decentralization and security - Improved L1 performance - Increased blob throughput **Fusaka follows the earlier Pectra upgrade** this year, continuing Ethereum's systematic approach to network improvements. The successful deployment reinforces the argument for **building on Ethereum rather than alternative L1 networks**, as the established infrastructure continues to evolve and improve. This upgrade represents another step in Ethereum's long-term scaling roadmap, demonstrating the network's ability to enhance performance while preserving its core principles of decentralization and security.

**Starknet's BTCFi era is gaining momentum** with over 1,000 BTC already bridged to the network in just three weeks. **Major infrastructure improvements are rolling out:** - Native USDC implementation via burn-and-mint model - LayerZero integration for enhanced interoperability - Stargate and CCTP v2 deployment - Privacy features in development **Stablecoin adoption hits new records** with $143M+ total value, representing 70% growth in 30 days. The shift from bridged USDC (USDC.e) to native USDC will eliminate wrapped tokens and reduce counterparty risk. **Benefits for users include:** - Unified liquidity across chains - Simplified user experience - Lower transaction costs - Direct institutional access via Circle Mint New DeFi products are launching weekly as the ecosystem expands beyond basic functionality into Bitcoin-focused financial services.

**BTCFi reaches major milestone** with over 1,000 BTC now bridged to Starknet in just three weeks. The integration represents early progress in bringing Bitcoin DeFi capabilities to the Ethereum Layer 2 network. - 1,000+ BTC successfully bridged to Starknet - Three-week timeframe shows rapid adoption - Additional products and use cases in development Starknet positions this as the beginning of their "BTCFi era" with more functionality planned for Bitcoin-based decentralized finance applications.

A significant DeFi development is coming to Starknet with a new perpetual DEX launching tomorrow. Built by former Revolut team members, it will introduce: - Leverage trading capabilities - Traditional finance asset pairs - Yield farming opportunities In other news: - Layer Akira adds 8 new tokens with $10k lottery campaign - RocketX now bridges ~180 chains to Starknet - Cartridge Controller adds Gmail login support - Byte Beasts integrates Worldcoin verification - New NFT collection Schizodio sells out in under 24 hours [Full weekly recap](https://starknetresearch.substack.com/p/starknet-roundup-182)