Starknet inaugurates the first phase of staking on the layer 2 of Ethereum, allowing STRK token holders to participate in the network’s security through solo staking or delegation. Let’s see all the details in this article.
Starknet of Ethereum launches staking: a step towards decentralization
Starknet, an advanced solution for layer-2 (L2) scaling for Ethereum, has announced the launch of the first phase of its innovative staking mechanism.
This innovation allows STRK token holders to contribute to the security and functionality of the network through staking, offering new opportunities both to those who hold large amounts of tokens and to those who possess fewer.
Users who have at least 20,000 STRK can participate directly in solo staking, earning rewards for their contribution to the network.
Those who hold less than this threshold, on the other hand, can choose to delegate their tokens to validators, thus participating indirectly in the protection and functioning of Starknet.
The launch of staking occurs gradually, allowing validators to start with basic functions such as running full nodes and interacting with staking contracts.
In the future, validators will take on more advanced roles, including the creation and validation of blocks, fundamental elements to ensure the decentralizzazione and the efficiency of the network.
Eli Ben-Sasson, CEO of StarkWare, described this initial phase as a crucial moment for the Starknet community:
“The launch of staking is a big step forward for the decentralization of the network, with players like Bitwise already active as public validators”.
The gradual approach adopted by Starknet follows a philosophy already seen with Ethereum, which took several years to successfully implement its own staking system.
This method allows the StarkWare team and the Starknet Foundation to collect on-chain data and study the staking habits of users, optimizing the system before delegating greater responsibilities to the validators.
Ben-Sasson emphasized that “network stability is a priority.” For this reason, future developments will be introduced only after a careful analysis of the results obtained in this first phase.
Staking and governance: a fundamental union
In addition to the security and scalability of the network, staking introduces new opportunities for governance within the Starknet ecosystem.
Holders of STRK tokens will not only be able to earn financial rewards, but they will also have an increasingly significant role in the network’s decision-making process:
“Over time, the benefits of governance will extend. Token holders will be able to influence the execution of blockchain tracks, consolidating network control in the hands of the community.”
This transition towards decentralized governance represents a significant milestone for Starknet, which aims to become a fully autonomous platform managed by its community of users and validators.
Record Performance: Starknet Reaches 857 TPS
In parallel with the launch of staking, Starknet has recently demonstrated its technological power by reaching a peak of 857 transactions per second (TPS) during a stress test conducted on October 29, 2024.
This result, obtained in a simulated high-demand environment, highlighted the network’s ability to scale without compromising its integrity.
During the test, Starknet maintained an average of 127.5 TPS over 24 hours, showing significantly improved throughput and high transaction speed.
These data not only confirm the robustness of the network, but also highlight its potential to support a wide range of decentralized applications (dApp) on a large scale.
Ben-Sasson described these results as a “demonstration of strength” for Starknet, emphasizing how the network is ready to support increasingly complex workloads.
In other words, the launch of staking marks only the beginning of a series of developments destined to revolutionize the ecosystem of Starknet.
With the progress of the gradual implementation, users will have the opportunity to take on more active roles, sequencing and validating the blocks of the network.
In the meantime, decentralized governance will continue to evolve, allowing the community to participate directly in key decisions. This approach not only strengthens trust in the network but also ensures its sustainable and inclusive growth.
On the technical front, the goal is to further improve throughput and scalability, making Starknet an increasingly competitive solution in the landscape of layer-2 technologies.