Starknet Ecosystem Growth: 2023 vs 2024

The **Starknet track** at the Zypherpunk Hackathon received a significant boost, with prize money increasing from $10,000 to **$35,000**. **Key Details:** - Prize pool tripled for Starknet developers - Referral program offers up to **$1,000 per team** that reaches Top 3 - Builders can join via Telegram community **Participation:** - Full track details available in [Google Doc](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bU5_l7RcOkU64wkxdAcm-dm6lC5NFddr7rtJCAOAado/edit?usp=sharing) - [Telegram group](https://t.me/+R5ZUrnFTyNFjOWI1) for connecting with other developers This follows Starknet's previous hackathon efforts, including the Re{ignite} event that offered $33K+ in prizes plus follow-on funding opportunities. *Ready to build on Starknet? Join the hackathon and connect with the developer community.*

Starknet's core development team conducted their 39th full nodes call meeting on November 20, 2025. The meeting brought together developers working on Starknet's infrastructure to discuss technical updates and coordination. **Key Details:** - Meeting #39 in the ongoing series of core developer calls - Focus on full node operations and development - Part of regular coordination efforts for Starknet's technical progress These developer calls serve as important coordination points for maintaining and improving Starknet's network infrastructure. [Watch the meeting](https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1vOGwdOvkmqJB)

**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)