🔧 Starknet Simplifies Consumer App Development

**strkBTC launches on Starknet May 12** following governance approval of SNIP-38 and SNIP-39. The proposals passed with near-unanimous support, establishing a federated Bitcoin wrapper and making strkBTC eligible for staking. **Key features:** - Brings Bitcoin into Starknet DeFi with built-in privacy - Supported by a federation of five institutions: Near Intents, Xverse, Twinstake, Luganodes, and UTXO Management - Users can shield balances and transact privately while maintaining full redeemability to native BTC **Roadmap toward decentralization:** - Phase 2: Post-quantum security - Phase 3: BitVM-based trust minimization - Phase 4: OP_CAT-enabled trustless design The launch follows Starknet's v0.14.2 upgrade, which introduced protocol-level privacy infrastructure. Integration partners [Atomiq](https://www.starknet.io/blog/native-btc-to-strkbtc-powered-by-atomiq-and-garden/) and Garden will enable direct swaps from native BTC and WBTC across 18+ chains.

Two new Starknet Improvement Proposals are now open for community review and voting. **Key Details:** - [SNIP-38](https://governance.starknet.io/#/sn:0x009fedaf0d7a480d21a27683b0965c0f8ded35b3f1cac39827a25a06a8a682a4/proposal/12) and [SNIP-39](https://governance.starknet.io/#/sn:0x009fedaf0d7a480d21a27683b0965c0f8ded35b3f1cac39827a25a06a8a682a4/proposal/13) are available on the Starknet governance platform - Both proposals were initially shared on May 7, 2026 - Community members can review full details and participate in the governance process The proposals represent ongoing efforts to improve the Starknet protocol through community-driven governance. *Review the proposals and participate in Starknet governance.*

At Bitcoin 2026, a new privacy solution for Bitcoin was demonstrated on stage. **strkBTC** enables Bitcoin holders to conduct private transactions on Starknet through a privacy pool system. **How it works:** - Users bridge their BTC into the Starknet network - Balances and transfers become shielded within the privacy pool - Bitcoin remains fully redeemable back to native BTC at any time - External observers only see bridge deposits and withdrawals - Internal transaction activity stays private The solution gives Bitcoin users optional privacy without sacrificing the ability to return to native BTC. Users maintain control over when to enter and exit the privacy layer.

Starknet mainnet experienced a brief ~10 minute downtime starting at 8:10 AM UTC on April 20 for the v0.14.2 protocol upgrade. **Key Changes:** - **In-protocol proof verification** - Starknet can now verify proofs natively at the protocol level, eliminating expensive application-layer workarounds - **Native privacy unlocked** - Enables STRK20 and strkBTC tokens with built-in privacy features - **zkThreads foundation** - Lays groundwork for infinite scaling through parallel execution - **Decentralization building blocks** - Adds infrastructure for future decentralized validation The upgrade passed community vote on April 16 after STRK stakers and delegators approved the changes. Additional improvements include revised storage economics and StarkGate token contract upgrades. This represents a fundamental shift in how Starknet handles proof verification, moving critical functionality from the application layer into the core protocol.

**strkBTC is set to launch by end of April/early May**, bringing a new Bitcoin wrapper to Starknet that combines hard money principles with privacy and DeFi productivity. **Key features:** - Privacy-enabled Bitcoin transactions - Built on STRK20s privacy technology - Compliance integrated from day one - Full DeFi composability on Starknet **What this means:** Bitcoin holders will be able to do more than just HODL - they can participate in Starknet's DeFi ecosystem while maintaining privacy. The asset aims to provide Bitcoiners with confidential balances and private transfers. **Get involved:** Interested users can contact the team at [strk20.starknet.io](https://strk20.starknet.io/) to participate in the upcoming launch. Bitcoin can already be bridged to Starknet in preparation. This launch is part of Starknet's broader privacy initiative, which includes STRK20s - a privacy layer for all ERC-20 tokens with built-in compliance.