Starknet Unveils Bitcoin Staking on Mainnet for Enhanced DeFi Participation → Web3

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Briefing

Starknet, a leading Ethereum Layer-2 solution, is set to launch native Bitcoin (BTC) staking on its mainnet by September 30, 2025. This pivotal development significantly expands the burgeoning Bitcoin Decentralized Finance (BTCfi) ecosystem, offering Bitcoin holders unprecedented opportunities to secure the network and earn yield. The initiative introduces a flexible staking model, supporting various wrapped Bitcoin assets and notably reducing the unstaking period to seven days, thereby improving capital efficiency and user accessibility.

Context

Prior to this innovation, the broader DeFi landscape presented limited avenues for Bitcoin holders to actively participate in network security and yield-generating activities without relinquishing custody or incurring significant friction. The prevailing product gap centered on the constrained composability of Bitcoin within more dynamic DeFi environments, restricting its utility beyond a store of value. This created a strategic imperative to integrate Bitcoin more deeply into scalable and efficient Layer-2 solutions, addressing the demand for enhanced liquidity and utility.

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Analysis

Starknet’s Bitcoin staking functionality fundamentally alters the application layer by creating a robust bridge between the Bitcoin and Ethereum ecosystems. This mechanism enables Bitcoin to function as a productive asset within Starknet’s DeFi primitives, attracting substantial capital into its network. The chain of cause and effect is clear → reduced unstaking periods enhance user liquidity, encouraging greater participation.

This fosters a competitive environment where other Layer-2 solutions must innovate to match Starknet’s capital efficiency and yield opportunities for Bitcoin. The feature’s community-approved governance model reinforces its decentralized ethos, positioning it as a foundational primitive for future BTCfi applications.

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Parameters

Protocol Name → Starknet
Feature Launch Date → September 30, 2025
Staking Asset → Bitcoin (BTC) via wrapped tokens (WBTC, LBTC, SolvBTC)
Underlying Blockchain → Ethereum Layer-2 (Starknet)
Unstaking Period → 7 days (reduced from 21 days)
BTC Staking Power → 0.25 (25% of network agreement power)
Governance Approval → SNIP-31 passed with 93.6% community support
DeFiLlama BTCfi TVL (recent) → Over $8.4 Billion (8% increase in 24 hours)

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Outlook

The introduction of Bitcoin staking on Starknet sets a new precedent for interoperability and capital utility within the decentralized ecosystem. The next phase of the product’s roadmap will likely involve expanding the types of wrapped Bitcoin supported and integrating these staked BTC assets into broader DeFi applications, such as lending protocols and automated market makers. This innovation possesses the potential to be widely copied by competing Layer-2s, transforming Bitcoin into a more dynamic and yield-bearing asset across various networks. This primitive is a foundational building block, enabling developers to construct more complex financial instruments atop a liquid, staked Bitcoin base.

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Verdict

Starknet’s Bitcoin staking capability represents a significant architectural evolution, fundamentally unlocking new dimensions of capital efficiency and utility for the world’s premier decentralized asset within the application layer.

Signal Acquired from → CoinCentral