Starknet

Starknet has announced a concrete timeline to achieve full post-quantum security by 2027, addressing the looming threat of quantum computers breaking current cryptographic systems. **Key developments:** - Eli Ben-Sasson outlined the implementation roadmap in a brief video explanation - The network already has foundational advantages: hash-based STARKs and Native Account Abstraction - Post-quantum wallets are deployable on Starknet today The urgency stems from "Q Day" - when quantum computers will be powerful enough to break existing crypto security. Starknet's Native AA architecture allows security protocols to evolve without requiring protocol-level changes, providing flexibility as quantum threats develop. This positions Starknet as an early mover in quantum-resistant blockchain infrastructure.

**Starknet has crossed a significant milestone** with over $500,000 now shielded on its network, according to analytics from StarkscanCo. **Key developments:** - One-click privacy functionality is gaining traction across multiple assets - The platform continues its mission to deliver privacy at scale for various use cases - Adoption is accelerating as users embrace simplified privacy tools This milestone represents growing demand for **accessible privacy solutions** in the blockchain ecosystem. The one-click approach removes technical barriers that previously limited privacy adoption. Starknet's privacy infrastructure aims to make shielded transactions as simple as standard transfers, potentially reshaping how users interact with blockchain assets.

**Issue and Resolution** A STRK20 contract upgrade on July 9, 2026 caused temporary disruption to new shielding deposits. The problem stemmed from a verification issue with screening signatures. **What Was Affected** - New shielding deposits were temporarily unavailable - Existing shielded assets remained accessible for unshielding - Private transfers continued functioning normally - User assets were never at risk during the downtime The issue has been resolved and shielding functionality is now fully operational again.

Starknet v0.14.3 is now live on Mainnet, bringing several technical improvements to the network. **Key upgrades include:** - **Dynamic L2 gas base fee** - Automatic algorithm adjusts minimum gas fees based on STRK price for more stable real-world costs - **1.5 second block times** - Reduced from previous intervals for lower transaction latency - **Enhanced prover/verifier capabilities** - New support for privacy-related transaction flows - **BLAKE-based SNOS hash** - Part of long-term security infrastructure improvements **Developer considerations:** Projects building fee estimation, sponsored transactions, paymasters, wallets, or account abstraction should review fee assumptions and consider larger buffers during price-adjustment periods. Full technical documentation and compatibility details are available through the governance proposal and community forums.

**Breaking Change Alert** Starting with v0.14.3, RPC 0.8 is officially deprecated. Full nodes and SDKs will no longer release versions supporting it. **Action Required:** - Migrate to RPC 0.9 or RPC 0.10.1/0.10.2 immediately - Review your infrastructure if you rely on candidate transaction timing **Key Change:** Candidate transaction latency will now match preconfirmed transactions - no performance advantage. Apps depending on faster candidate transaction speeds need to reassess UX and infrastructure assumptions. This follows the earlier deprecation of RPC versions below 0.7, which was announced with Starknet v0.13.4. The ecosystem continues moving toward newer RPC versions for improved features like storage proofs and L2 gas support.

**Critical Pre-Launch Checklist for July 8th Mainnet Upgrade** Starknet v0.14.3 goes live on Mainnet July 8th. Builders must complete these tasks immediately: - **RPC Migration**: Update from RPC 0.8 now - **Node Operators**: Upgrade to v0.14.3 before launch - **Large Transactions**: Verify compliance with SNIP-40 limits for transactions with thousands of reads/writes - **SNIP-36 Users**: Upgrade provers alongside version update - **Hash Dependencies**: Review Pedersen → BLAKE change impacts - **Transaction Timing**: Adjust expectations for candidate transaction timing **What's New:** This upgrade delivers improved fee predictability, reduced latency, and proving support for new privacy flows. However, it includes breaking changes requiring immediate action from affected projects. [Review full technical details and migration guides]()

Starknet is upgrading its core contract security by replacing the Pedersen hash function with the quantum-secure BLAKE algorithm for program hash and config hash operations. **Key Changes:** - Program hash and config hash now use BLAKE instead of Pedersen - Enhanced protection against potential quantum computing threats - Affects SNOS (Starknet Operating System) verification processes **Action Required:** Developers and infrastructure operators should verify compatibility if their systems depend on: - Program hash operations - Config hash functions - SNOS verification - Indexing services - Monitoring tools - Custom core-contract tooling This security upgrade represents a proactive step toward quantum-resistant blockchain infrastructure, though it requires technical adjustments for dependent systems.

**SNIP-40 brings faster blocks and adjusted gas costs** Starknet is reducing block times from 2 seconds to 1.5 seconds, aiming to lower transaction latency across the network. **Key changes:** - Block target L2 gas: 1.5B → 1.04B - StorageRead L2 gas: 18,000 → 24,000 - StorageWrite L2 gas: 45,000 → 60,000 - Max transaction size: 1.1B → 1.11B **Action required:** Developers with apps sending large transactions containing thousands of reads/writes should verify compatibility with new SNIP-40 limits. Full node operators must upgrade before v0.14.3 to maintain accurate gas estimations. This update follows SNIP-35's dynamic L2 gas base fee mechanism, which automatically adjusts minimum fees based on STRK price fluctuations for more predictable real-world costs.

Starknet's SNIP-36 verifier now supports Keccak built-in invocations in virtual OS blocks, enabling **virtual private transactions signed with EVM signatures**. **Key Details:** - Available in Starknet v0.14.3 - Users must upgrade prover services alongside the new version - Proofs from v0.14.2 are **not compatible** with the updated verifier **What This Means:** This update bridges Ethereum and Starknet ecosystems by allowing EVM-style signatures for private transactions, improving interoperability for developers building cross-chain applications. **Action Required:** If you're using SNIP-36 proving infrastructure, upgrade your prover services immediately to maintain compatibility.

**STRK20** introduces privacy features for ERC-20 tokens on Starknet while maintaining regulatory compliance through encrypted viewing keys. **Key Features:** - Private balances, transfers, and swaps for any ERC-20 on Starknet - Fixed cost of 4 $STRK per transaction, regardless of size - Single shared privacy pool that strengthens as more users join - Encrypted viewing keys allow authorized auditors to access specific information on legitimate requests **How It Works:** Users can shield ERC-20 tokens into private balances, conduct private transactions, then unshield with one click—all within the same wallet and liquidity pools. The framework leverages Starknet's provable computation capabilities to verify private transactions without exposing details. As the privacy pool grows with more users and assets, individual transactions become harder to isolate. **Ecosystem Expansion:** STRK20 is rolling out across Starknet with integrations for [avnu](https://avnu.fi) and [Ekubo](https://ekubo.org), plus an open-source SDK. The [Proof of Privacy incubator](https://starknet.io) supports teams building private applications for payments, trading, identity, and DeFi. *Privacy by default, accountability when required.*