StarkNet Launches Bitcoin Staking: A New Stage in DeFi Development
Date: 2025-04-30 Author: Oliver Abernathy Categories: BUSINESS
This event is part of the ambitious Hyperbitcoinization initiative, aimed at developing DeFi for both cryptocurrency ecosystems: Ethereum and Bitcoin.
In an official announcement, the StarkNet team stated that the launch of staking will bring three key benefits: stable income for BTC investors, improved security for the StarkNet network itself, and new opportunities for developers. The main goal of the project is to facilitate hyperbitcoinization, which will be implemented through this platform.
While the exact dates and details of the staking launch have not yet been disclosed, it is known that wrapped versions of Bitcoin, such as WBTC, cbBTC, UBTC and others, will be used for staking. It is also worth noting that more than 200 million STRK tokens have already been staked on the StarkNet network.
StarkNet, the first major Ethereum L2 network to offer staking after Ethereum switched to Proof-of-Stake, continues to develop. Staking on StarkNet already provides an opportunity to earn income from STRK tokens, and any user can become a validator if they have at least 20,000 STRK. Others can delegate their tokens to other participants.
There are currently more than 260 million staked STRK tokens in the network, and about 69,000 users have delegated their funds to earn income at a rate of 9.9% per annum. The staking mechanism in StarkNet resembles the process on Ethereum: if a validator violates the rules, his tokens can be partially burned. Also, a 21-day wait is required to withdraw tokens.
For Bitcoin stakers via StarkNet, the main reward currency will be STRK, which has already attracted the attention of users despite the token’s price falling by 68% since the beginning of the year. At the moment, the price of STRK is $0.1518.
The Bitcoin staking market is growing rapidly, and StarkNet’s inclusion in this segment highlights the importance of using Bitcoin liquidity to develop DeFi. Currently, according to DefiLlama, Bitcoin staking and restaking accounts for more than 80% of the total volume in Bitcoin DeFi, which is equivalent to $5.86 billion. One of the leaders in this segment is Babylon Protocol, which currently manages more than 57,000 BTC. However, in addition to Babylon, other platforms such as Lombard Finance and Coffer Network also offer staking and liquid Bitcoin staking solutions.
