Starknet v0.14.2 is now live on mainnet. The release adds the infrastructure for private transactions on Starknet, making way for STRK20, a new framework for shielded assets, and strkBTC, the first asset to launch through it. By introducing native protocol changes, v0.14.2 transforms Starknet from a high-performance Rollup into a privacy-preserving engine.
In-Protocol Proof Verification: The New Standard
The technical heart of v0.14.2 is SNIP-36, which outlines in-protocol proof verification. But what does this mean for the average user or developer?
Previously, Starknet lacked native proof verification. If an application wanted to verify a STARK proof on Starknet, it had to do so within a smart contract. That was not feasible since STARK proofs are so large. These proofs often contain tens of thousands of “felts” (field elements), making them significantly larger than the maximum transaction size allowed on the network. Developers would have had to split proofs into smaller parts across multiple transactions (as Starknet does on Ethereum), which was prohibitively slow, complex, and expensive.
With v0.14.2, transactions can now reference off-chain execution proofs directly via new proof and proof_facts fields in the Invoke V3 transaction structure. Starknet’s consensus now handles the verification natively.
The Privacy Angle: Confidential State Transitions
This protocol upgrade enables confidential transactions. You can now prove you have the necessary funds or the legal right to move an asset without ever revealing your total balance or transaction history to the entire network. Without this native support, any privacy solution would be prohibitively expensive and sluggish; with it, privacy becomes as seamless as a standard transfer.
Implications for STRK20 & strkBTC
The infrastructure in v0.14.2 acts as the enabler for two of Starknet’s most anticipated privacy projects:
- STRK20: This new framework allows any ERC-20 token on Starknet to be used privately. Thanks to v0.14.2’s ability to verify
S-two proofs, tokens can now support encrypted balances. From day one, you can swap, stake, and send any ERC-20
token while keeping your financial footprint shielded.* - strkBTC: For bitcoin holders, this is the bridge to a secure, shielded environment. The upgrade facilitates private bitcoin
interactions on Starknet, allowing BTC to be used in DeFi applications without exposing the user’s entire bitcoin
wallet history to public scrutiny. As a result, bitcoin holders will have hard money that is both private and
productive, thanks to the Starknet ecosystem and many BTCFi offerings.*
* A viewing key will be held by a third-party audit firm, which may, subject to valid legal and regulatory requests, share individual user transactions and transaction history for compliance purposes.
Starknet’s Sustainable, Decentralized Future
While privacy is the headline, v0.14.2 also sharpens the network’s economic and structural integrity.
- Congestion & Pricing (SNIP-37): We are rebalancing the economic model. By increasing storage costs while simultaneously reducing base L2 gas prices, Starknet ensures that state-intensive applications pay their fair share while keeping the network sustainable and cost-effective for the majority of users.
- StarkGate & Decentralization (SNIP-13): Technical upgrades to StarkGate token contracts (v3.0.0) bring ERC-20 events in line with industry standards (making indexing easier for dapps) and prepare the ground for the upcoming decentralized validation phase (SNIP-33).
For a technical breakdown of all the v0.14.2 changes, read the Pre-Release Notes. Starknet v0.14.2 is the functional foundation for private-by-design applications. Starknet is finally, natively, private.
