Ethereum Layer 2 solution Starknet has officially reached “Stage 1” decentralization, a significant milestone that marks the project’s transition toward a more community-driven, trust-minimized future. At the same time, Starknet now leads all zero-knowledge (ZK) rollups in total value locked (TVL), reinforcing its position as a frontrunner in the Ethereum scaling race.
The announcement was made by StarkWare, the team behind Starknet, highlighting that the rollup has met key criteria for protocol independence and censorship resistance — two pillars of Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin’s decentralization roadmap for rollups.
What is “Stage 1” Decentralization?
According to Buterin’s framework, “Stage 1” decentralization means a Layer 2 solution is sufficiently decentralized to prevent protocol-level censorship and rollback, even if the development team were to vanish. For Starknet, this includes the introduction of:
- Multiple independent full node operators
- A working sequencer rotation mechanism
- Prover decentralization groundwork, and
- Publicly accessible and verifiable state data
The shift marks a key step forward from the previous “Stage 0” state, in which the protocol was still reliant on core developers and central coordination for transaction sequencing and data availability.
Starknet Tops ZK-Rollup Charts in TVL
As Starknet decentralizes its infrastructure, it is also leading in adoption. According to data from L2Beat, Starknet now holds over $1.8 billion in total value locked (TVL) — surpassing other ZK-rollup competitors such as zkSync Era, Scroll, and Polygon zkEVM.
Much of this growth is attributed to a wave of DeFi protocols migrating or launching natively on Starknet, including JediSwap, Nostra, and the recent integration of Aave V3. Incentives tied to the STRK token airdrop have also helped fuel liquidity and user onboarding.
“Starknet’s progress shows that the market is rewarding rollups that focus on long-term scalability and credible neutrality,” said Emma Tan, an L2 analyst at ChainMetrics. “Decentralization is not just about ideology anymore — it’s a feature users are beginning to demand.”
Why ZK-Rollups Matter
ZK-rollups are considered one of the most promising scaling solutions for Ethereum. They work by bundling thousands of transactions into a single proof that is posted to the Ethereum mainnet, enabling faster and cheaper transactions without compromising on security.
Starknet, built on STARK proofs, offers an even higher level of scalability and resistance to quantum attacks compared to other zk-SNARK-based solutions. This has made it particularly attractive for DeFi, gaming, and enterprise applications.
The Road Ahead
Starknet still needs to reach “Stage 2” decentralization to become fully autonomous, which includes fully decentralized proving, community-run sequencers, and on-chain governance mechanisms. However, reaching Stage 1 puts it in rare company, signaling to developers and users that the network is robust, resilient, and ready for mass adoption.
With both decentralization and TVL momentum on its side, Starknet is poised to be a central player in Ethereum’s future scalability stack.