Starknet

A recurring pattern of 'It's happening' announcements has emerged throughout 2025, with identical declarations made in January, February, and now July. This repetitive messaging without substantive details raises questions about the nature and significance of these announcements. No additional context or clarification has been provided across these instances.

The Starknet development team held their 31st full nodes call meeting, continuing their bi-weekly technical discussions. Key points covered: - Node infrastructure updates and performance optimizations - Technical implementation details for full node operators - Community feedback on recent network upgrades - Discussion of upcoming protocol improvements This follows meeting #30 from two weeks prior, maintaining the regular cadence of development coordination calls. *For node operators*: Review the full meeting recording for detailed technical specifications and upcoming changes. [Watch the full recording](https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1BdGYqykzpBGX)

Starknet announces version 0.13.6, scheduled for Testnet on June 30 and Mainnet on July 8. This update lays groundwork for S-Two, StarkWare's next-gen STARK prover. Key improvements: - S-Two will cut proving time from 24 to 3 minutes for 2B L2 gas blocks - Proving costs expected to reduce by 50% or more - Resource counting enabled - Transaction costs and UX remain unchanged *Note*: Cairo Native temporarily disabled on Testnet, planned reintegration in Q3. [Full release notes](https://community.starknet.io/t/sn-v0-13-6-pre-release-notes/115680)

Asset Runes technology is enabling direct stablecoin trading on Bitcoin for the first time, eliminating the need for cross-chain bridges or wrapped tokens. The development is being implemented through @dot_swap's platform. - Trading is powered by an onchain orderbook - Features Full Mempool Protection - Currently in beta phase - Supports BTC to Rune swaps - Rune to BTC swaps being gradually implemented This marks a significant step toward native Bitcoin DeFi functionality without requiring users to leave the Bitcoin network.

Starknet is positioning itself as a unified development platform that allows builders to create applications that can leverage both Bitcoin and Ethereum networks simultaneously. Key ecosystem partners supporting development include: - OpenZeppelin - The Graph Protocol - Nethermind - OnlyDust - StarkWare - Starknet Foundation This cross-chain development capability represents a significant step toward blockchain interoperability, allowing developers to harness the unique strengths of both leading networks.

StarkWare has released a breakthrough research paper introducing ColliderVM, a new approach to scale Bitcoin that doesn't require OP_CAT. The technology enables stateful computation on Bitcoin without fraud proofs, potentially allowing Starknet to scale Bitcoin with or without OP_CAT implementation. In other key updates: - STRK staking v2 is now live on testnet with new validator parameters - DeFi Spring incentives launched for wBTC on Vesu - Braavos released a new Bitcoin vault product for bridging and yield generation - Multiple gaming projects advancing including Crimson Fate beta launch - Request Finance adds Starknet support for crypto/fiat operations

Starknet introduces Garaga SDK, enabling Noir developers to verify ZK proofs on Starknet without writing Cairo code. This collaboration between Aztec Network, StarkWare, and Starknet Foundation brings new capabilities: - Automatic generation of Cairo-based verifiers for Noir proofs - Simple two-step deployment process - Support for ZKML, L2/L3 appchains, and privacy-preserving dApps The integration expands Starknet's ZK toolkit and welcomes developers from multiple languages. Developers can now leverage Starknet's efficient proof verification while working in their preferred language. Learn more: [Noir on Starknet](https://www.starknet.io/blog/noir-on-starknet/)

Starknet's latest developments focus on two key areas: - Core developers held their 22nd full nodes meeting, discussing technical implementations and network improvements - Starknet Foundation released insights on integrating with Bitcoin and Ethereum, outlining their vision for cross-chain interoperability The foundation emphasizes building a robust digital infrastructure that connects major blockchain networks. This marks a significant step in Starknet's evolution as a layer-2 scaling solution. Technical discussions from the dev meeting centered on node operations and network stability improvements. [Watch the full dev meeting](https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1lDGLzbNQdZxm)

**Braavos mobile wallet** now enables instant real-world payments using STRK at Lightning Network-enabled vendors. The integration represents a significant step in blockchain usability: - Simple 3-step payment process: 1. Open Braavos app 2. Scan vendor QR code 3. Complete payment This development builds on Starknet's robust security features including: - Limited approval controls - Multi-factor authentication - Daily spending limits - Real-time fraud detection - Social recovery options [Learn more about the integration](https://www.starknet.io/blog/braavos-bitcoin-lightning-payments-strk/)

Starknet has reached impressive maturity levels: - 500 TPS capacity - $0.002 average gas fees - 2-sec transaction waiting time The ecosystem is expanding rapidly: - Hyperlane integration for improved bridging - BTC loans on Starknet via Lendasat - Upcoming DualVM Validity Rollup with Kakarot ZK-EVM - New DeFi dApp (@strkfarm) crosses $1M TVL Art Peace Round 2 was a success, showcasing network capabilities. *Note: This is not financial advice. Always DYOR.*