Starknet hits ‘Stage 1’ decentralization, tops ZK-rollups for value locked

From Cointelegraph

May 16, 2025 01:53 am:

Starknet, an Ethereum layer-2 scaling platform, reaches Stage 1 decentralization milestone outlined by Vitalik Buterin, becoming the largest ZK-rollup network with $629 million locked, surpassing ZKsync. It is the only ZK-rollup network at Stage 1, among the top five layer-2 networks by value locked, with plans to achieve Stage 2 decentralization.

Fraud proofs and validity proofs are key in achieving decentralization milestones, with StarkWare’s CEO aiming for Stage 2 decentralization on Ethereum and advancing work on Bitcoin. Only three small layer-2 scaling platforms have reached Stage 2. Buterin introduced the concept of “training wheels” and three stages for Ethereum scaling rollup projects in 2022.

The layer-2 network Base by Coinbase leads the sector with $14.7 billion locked and a market share of 33%, while Starknet has a 1.4% market share. The total value locked in the layer-2 ecosystem is $44.2 billion, increasing with Ether’s value rise but down 20% this year. Metric signals $250K Bitcoin as ‘best case’ scenario.

Read more at Cointelegraph: Starknet hits ‘Stage 1’ decentralization, tops ZK-rollups for value locked