Welcome to the 24th installment of my monthly summary, where I share the most significant updates and progress within the Starknet ecosystem!
Important news of the month
Grinta is coming this month
Starknet v0.14.0, which has been codenamed Grinta, is set to launch on Mainnet on August 18. This upgrade, already available on Testnet, represents a significant step forward for both decentralization and user experience.
It introduces 6 major enhancements:
- Decentralized sequencer architecture: Beginning with this version, the network will utilize three sequencers operating with Tendermint consensus and a 1/2 threshold. This is the initial move toward a fully decentralized sequencing model on Starknet. It’s also worth noting that Juno is actively working to become a Starknet sequencer by using Nethermind’s Go-based custom Tendermint implementation.
- Pre-confirmations: A new, intermediate transaction status is being introduced, featuring a latency of about 0.5 seconds. This will make most transactions feel almost instantaneous, reducing the perceived execution time from approximately 2 seconds to a mere 500 milliseconds.
- Block times reduced: The time to create a new block will be cut from 30 seconds down to 4-6 seconds. Starknet has plans to decrease this even more later in the year, particularly with the help of Cairo-Native.
- Fee market for l2_gas: Taking inspiration from Ethereum’s EIP-1559, this update brings in a system of base fees and tips. While base fees will not be burned in v0.14.0, this feature is planned for a future release (though no specific date has been set).
- Mempool upgrade: The previous First-In, First-Out (FIFO) system is being replaced. Transactions will now be prioritized based on the tip amount, meaning those who pay more will have their transactions processed first.
- V3 transactions only: Henceforth, the network will only support v3 transactions, which exclusively use STRK for gas fees. To pay fees with other tokens, you will need to use a paymaster service like the one offered by AVNU.
Learn more in the dedicated SNIP and pre-release notes.
Regarding the future, the StarkWare team is currently gathering feedback for the next roadmap. This is an excellent opportunity to let your voice be heard.
STRK staking heats up
Following the recent release of STRK staking v2, both StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation are intensifying their efforts to support the decentralization of staking on Starknet by launching their own delegation programs. The objective is to assist new validators in joining the network and to help smaller validators achieve profitability by delegating a portion of their STRK to these external participants.
StarkWare has already finished its initial delegation round, allocating 75M STRK among chosen validators. Additionally, they have launched their own validator, staking 30M STRK to it.
The Starknet Foundation’s delegation program is also underway, providing a 1:1 match of up to 5M STRK for validators who meet the criteria. The results of this program will be made public by August 31.
Important to note: You are permitted to apply for both programs and could potentially receive a delegation from each one. So, don’t hesitate to apply to both!
With approximately 430M STRK staked, delegation programs active, and Grinta on the horizon, decentralization is not just on its way—it’s actively unfolding.
Web3 UX, finally usable for everyone
Starknet is consistently advancing towards a user experience on par with Web2, without making compromises. Here are the key developments from this month:
- The Starknet Paymaster by AVNU is now operational. It is fully open-source, audited, and permissionless, enabling anyone to sponsor or abstract user gas fees in less than five minutes.
- Ready Mobile wallet is already using this technology to provide a completely gasless user experience, meaning users no longer need to hold or be concerned about gas tokens.
- Cavos has introduced Aegis-v1, a new offering that lets projects facilitate smooth onboarding with invisible wallets that are powered by social logins (such as Apple and Google), along with a totally gas-free experience.
Widespread adoption is not possible without a user experience that is both seamless and easy to grasp. Starknet is committed to delivering just that.
Starknet connects to 140+ chains
Hyperlane has formally incorporated Starknet into its interoperability stack. This allows developers to effortlessly deploy custom bridges that link Starknet with a network of up to 140 chains.
Developers are already taking advantage of this new capability:
- Daydreams has launched a Solana <> Starknet bridge for its DREAMS token.
- Forge Yields is developing cross-chain yield products utilizing this technology.
Starknet Ecosystem Update
Starknet now accessible on the leading Bitcoin wallet
Xverse now includes support for Starknet Mainnet in both its browser extension and mobile application. This integration means Bitcoin users can now access Starknet by simply switching networks within the user interface and can manage their assets directly on Starknet.
This marks only the first phase of their Starknet integration. The next stage involves integrating the Xverse wallet into various Starknet applications, spanning both DeFi and gaming.
Real-world BTC use case in El Salvador
Representatives from StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation visited El Salvador to connect with Bitcoin developers who are addressing tangible, real-world issues. A central question was: How can Starknet help them achieve their goals?
One of the resulting solutions is a Bitcoin ATM, now live and fully powered by Starknet. This ATM allows users to buy BTC directly with cash (both bills and coins), store their funds on Starknet, and benefit from an experience that is smoother than using the Lightning Network. Better yet, this provides them with a direct entry point into Starknet’s DeFi ecosystem. It is anticipated that more projects stemming from the El Salvador initiative will join Starknet in the near future.
Paradex steps back to go even further
Paradex is prolonging its Season 2 XP campaign for up to an additional six months, thereby postponing the DIME token generation event (TGE), and they have a solid reason for this decision. The team aims to first release their complete suite of products:
- Spot market
- Pre-market
- Yield-bearing synthetic dollars (XUSD)
- The highly anticipated Money Badgers campaign
On another note, the cap for the Gigavault has been raised to $50M, allowing LPers to now enter. Since its launch, the vault has been yielding an APR of around 18% in USDC.
StarkWare now has skin in the DeFi game
StarkWare has finalized an over-the-counter (OTC) agreement with the AI agent framework project, DAYDREAMS, acquiring a stake in the DREAMS token supply. Furthermore, StarkWare is now contributing to the project’s growth by providing liquidity to the DREAMS/STRK pair on the Ekubo protocol.
JediSwap shuts down
JediSwap is officially ceasing its operations. The project’s frontend is now deprecated. If you have liquidity remaining on the platform, please be aware that you can still perform manual withdrawals directly from the smart contracts.
OpenZeppelin Contracts MCP now live on Starknet
In addition to Cairo Coder, developers (and even non-developers) can now leverage OpenZeppelin Contracts MCP to construct and deploy dApps in just three simple steps:
- Prompt an idea
- Generate the contracts
- Deploy the dApp
Building on Starknet has never been more straightforward.
Gaming ecosystem shipping non stop
Starknet continues to be a leader in the onchain gaming space, and this month has seen another wave of releases:
- Realms (formerly Eternum) has introduced Blitz, a new, fast-paced 2-hour war mode.
- A new game has been launched, developed by Starknet Brother x Octo Gaming.
- Dante Horton, a veteran of the gaming industry, has joined Grug’s Lair as an advisor.
- The winners of the recent Grug Game Jam (a vibe coding hackathon) have been revealed.
Alpha Zone
This month, two new projects have launched on Starknet Mainnet:
- Caddy Finance, a BTC vault designed to generate yield for Bitcoin holders.
- Bro Jump, a game created in collaboration with the well-known Starknet Brother memecoin.
I’ve also identified five new projects that are currently under development on Starknet:
- Brove, a central hub designed to simplify the use of BTC in various DeFi and social applications.
- Panenka FC, a fantasy football game.
- SharkX Trading, the first fully onchain proprietary trading firm.
- Numo, a platform for modular BTC vaults.
- Fortichain, an infrastructure project with a strong focus on security.
Some of the Best Content of the Month
Starknet Q2 Recap: Setting the stage for H2 2025
Starknet ships a substantial amount of updates every month. However, when you take a broader view and look at an entire quarter, the level of progress is truly remarkable. Get up to speed on all the developments from Q2, including protocol upgrades, decentralization efforts, ecosystem growth, BTCfi, and a look at what lies ahead.
Paradex: the better-than-CEX DEX
Why opt for a centralized exchange when you can enjoy speed, a great user experience, and self-custody all in one place? Paradex serves as Starknet’s native appchain for trading, and it is already surpassing the typical CEX experience >> Learn how.
Disclaimer: This blog post was written by 0xLyskey,, a community member. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author. This content is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or any other form of advice. Readers are solely responsible for their own decisions and are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research. Stay safe and do your own research.
