Starknet (STRK) is the native token of Starknet, a Validity Rollup / ZK-Rollup Layer-2 network for Ethereum built on STARK proof technology, using the Cairo smart-contract language. STRK exists as an ERC-20 on Ethereum (canonical contract deployed 2022-11-16), natively on Starknet L2, and bridged to Solana.
STRK functions as the network's gas and governance token, developed by StarkWare Industries and stewarded by the Starknet Foundation. As of 2026-09-01, STRK traded near $0.0268, roughly 96.67% below its December 2024 all-time high of $0.80430186.
Starknet differentiates itself among Ethereum Layer-2s through its STARK-based validity-proof architecture and Cairo, a purpose-built smart-contract language, rather than fraud-proof-based optimistic-rollup designs.
Reported on-chain activity illustrates both real usage and fee-compression exposure: chain revenue peaked near $6 million in a single month in late 2023 before falling to roughly $48,000 by early April 2026, a decline attributed largely to Ethereum's EIP-4844 upgrade reducing L2 data costs industry-wide. STRK captures this activity as the token required to pay Starknet's gas fees.
STRK is both a governance and a utility token. Holders use it to pay gas fees on Starknet, to participate in governance by delegating or receiving voting power through the Starknet Foundation's delegate program, and to stake within Staking v2, a dual-token consensus model where STRK contributes 75% of validator staking weight (Bitcoin contributes the remaining 25%).
The Foundation describes STRK as remaining the anchor of network governance even as Bitcoin staking is introduced alongside it.
Total supply is approximately 10.14 billion STRK (from an initial 10 billion mint), with a fully diluted valuation near $270 million. Circulating supply is approximately 6.98 billion STRK, giving a market capitalization near $186-191 million as of 2026-09-01.
An initial vesting schedule released up to 0.64% (64 million tokens) monthly from April 2024 to March 2025. Net supply is inflationary, growing via ongoing staking issuance.
STRK launched via airdrop, announced February 14, 2024, distributing over 1.8 billion STRK to community members and stakeholders. The first phase (over 700 million STRK) went live February 20, 2024, to more than 1.3 million Ethereum wallets.
Starknet is a Validity Rollup / ZK-Rollup Layer-2 network that settles to Ethereum using STARK validity proofs rather than fraud-proof-based optimistic-rollup mechanics or an independent consensus set. STRK exists as an ERC-20 on Ethereum L1 (canonical contract deployed November 16, 2022), natively on the Starknet L2, and as a bridged token on Solana.
Starknet is transitioning from centralized sequencing toward decentralized block production. Staking v2 introduces a dual-token validator model in which staking weight is split 75% STRK and 25% Bitcoin, with full decentralization of sequencing and validation targeted for a Q4 2026 Decentralized Validator Phase.
Starknet's core technology is built by StarkWare Industries, co-founded in 2018 by Eli Ben-Sasson, Uri Kolodny, Michael Riabzev, and Alessandro Chiesa. Eli Ben-Sasson — a co-inventor of the STARK and FRI proof protocols and a former Technion computer science professor — is CEO, having succeeded co-founder Uri Kolodny, who stepped down in January 2024.
Starknet is developed by StarkWare Industries, an Israeli cryptography company founded in 2018 that built the Starknet protocol and its Cairo smart-contract language. The STRK token is stewarded separately by the Starknet Foundation, a non-profit responsible for ecosystem grants and decentralization initiatives.
Following an April 2026 restructuring, StarkWare now operates as two business units — a revenue-focused applications unit and a Starknet development unit — while maintaining roughly 170 employees globally.
Starknet governance operates through a token-delegate model administered by the Starknet Foundation rather than direct on-chain voting by every holder. In 2026 the Foundation began distributing 1.7 billion STRK in voting power across a three-tier delegate structure of 180 participants, with Tier 1 alone allocating 700 million STRK across 20 delegates (35 million STRK each).
Over 300 million STRK has been delegated by StarkWare and the Foundation themselves to seed the delegate program. Full decentralization of sequencing and validation is targeted for a Q4 2026 Decentralized Validator Phase.
Starknet's 2026 roadmap centers on Bitcoin integration and decentralization. StarkWare launched strkBTC, a Bitcoin-based asset supporting shielded balances on Starknet, and on August 29, 2026 demonstrated a quantum-safe Bitcoin transfer.
CertiK lists Starknet with a Skynet Score of 91.73 (AA rating) and records one third-party audit. Starknet runs an Immunefi bug bounty program covering the StarkNet OS and L1 core contracts, offering rewards from $50,000 up to $1,000,000 for critical smart-contract vulnerabilities, plus a separate program for Starknet Staking.
On the Ethereum contract, the top 10 holders control 68% of supply — a concentration figure that likely includes bridge, treasury, and vesting contracts rather than only individual wallets.