# A Beginner’s Guide to StarkNet *Author: William M. Peaster* *Published: Nov 29, 2022* *Source: https://www.bankless.com/a-beginners-guide-to-starknet* --- **Dear Bankless nation,** It’s no secret that we’re huge fans of rollup chains. They accelerate modular scaling without sacrificing on decentralization. We’ve looked at Arbitrum, zksync and Optimism in the past but today, we’re turning our attention to the last of the “Big Four” rollups: StarkNet. StarkNet is [StarkWare](https://starkware.co/)’s *permissionless *rollup chain. The chain is still in alpha, but there’s an awful lot going on. Today, we’re showing you how to get started in this burgeoning ecosystem and where you should be looking for opportunities. **- Bankless team** --- Rollups represent the foundation of Ethereum’s scaling plans going forward. StarkNet is a permissionless layer 2 (L2) scaling network that is one of the “Big Four” major early rollups. This Bankless tactic will show you how to navigate the StarkNet ecosystem as a novice! - **Goal**: Learn your way around StarkNet - **Skill**: Intermediate - **Effort**: A couple of hours for exploring - **ROI**: Experience with one of the best L2s --- # **An introduction to the StarkNet L2** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/b7/e4b77544-5a37-4f0b-8824-8440aa348476/content/images/2024/02/https-3a-2f-2fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2f8de172d0-87c5-4d07-bf87-c04f4dfc09a3_1280x853-jpeg.jpg)*A “StarkWare L2 chain” output I created with Stable Diffusion* --- ## **What is StarkNet?** Today, zero-knowledge (zk) and optimistic rollups are the two dominant Ethereum scaling styles. Created by [StarkWare](https://starkware.co/), StarkNet is a zk-rollup L2 that uses zk proofs to create an off-chain execution layer for Ethereum. > StarkNet is the most advanced smart contract platform ever committed to prod. No, rather, it will be.This is Alpha for a reason: at the very bleeding edge of blockchain tech. There'll be missing features, centralized training wheels, bugs etc. But we're making a giant leap. [https://t.co/xDhd78KHz9](https://t.co/xDhd78KHz9)— polynya (@apolynya) [November 29, 2021](https://twitter.com/apolynya/status/1465309257440509959?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) This off-chain execution mechanism is a way to make Ethereum-based transactions extremely affordable and fast. Simply put, StarkNet batches many transactions together and then efficiently posts this data to Ethereum. Since the Ethereum verification fee is spread out among all users, StarkNet is more affordable as it becomes more popular. Yes, the more transactions there are, the cheaper they become! ## **How to create a StarkNet wallet** You have two main options for a StarkNet wallet right now: Argent X and Braavos. > How to get started on [#StarkNet](https://twitter.com/hashtag/StarkNet?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw): The most promising solution to make Ethereum faster and cheaper.In this thread, we'll hold your hand through your first NFT journey on [#StarkNet](https://twitter.com/hashtag/StarkNet?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) - a layer-2 rollup on top of Ethereum.👇🧵[@mottylen](https://twitter.com/mottylen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [@Starknet_Intern](https://twitter.com/Starknet_Intern?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [@BertBlancheton](https://twitter.com/BertBlancheton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) [@odin_free](https://twitter.com/odin_free?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)— Braavos - StarkNet Wallet (@myBraavos) [August 15, 2022](https://twitter.com/myBraavos/status/1559155831500931072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) Argent X and Braavos are both smart contract-based wallets explicitly designed for the StarkNet ecosystem. Argent X is open-source and was the first StarkNet wallet, so if you want to try it out of the gate you’d follow these steps: - *Download the Argent X extension from the [Chrome Web Store](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/argent-x/dlcobpjiigpikoobohmabehhmhfoodbb) or [Firefox](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/argent-x/)* - *Click on the new **Argent X button** in your browser* - *Select **New Account*** - *Create a password* - *Wait for your account to deploy, and voila! You’re now ready to receive funds on StarkNet* Braavos is currently closed-source software, so keep that in mind. If you’re interested in downloading this wallet service, you could follow these steps: - *Go to [braavos.app](https://braavos.app/)* - *Press **Download** and download the wallet software to your desktop or mobile device* - *Set up a new wallet and **record your 12-word recovery phrase** for posterity* - *Choose the **Mainnet Alpha** network to deploy on* - *That’s it! You now have your own** StarkNet wallet**:* - *You can now [transfer funds](https://twitter.com/myBraavos/status/1559155866661801984) into your StarkNet account using a credit-card service like **Banxa **or a bridge like **Layerswap*** > 4/ And ta-da! You now have a Wallet on [#StarkNet](https://twitter.com/hashtag/StarkNet?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)!Here’s the main tab, where you'll check out your main Account Balance and your different tokens.The “Activity” tab is where you’ll find your transaction history. [pic.twitter.com/1Rg8J9AIKd](https://t.co/1Rg8J9AIKd)— Braavos - StarkNet Wallet (@myBraavos) [August 15, 2022](https://twitter.com/myBraavos/status/1559155856905740290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) --- ## **Finding StarkNet apps with Dappland** The best way to find and explore apps on StarkNet today is through [Dappland,](https://www.dappland.com/) a community resource hub that tracks notable app deployments on this Big Four L2. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/b7/e4b77544-5a37-4f0b-8824-8440aa348476/content/images/2024/02/https-3a-2f-2fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2f4c598098-0351-4d4d-b500-dc3c2ab2b717_1600x794-png.jpg)*The dappland front page* Dappland currently tracks projects across the Onramps, Bridges, DeFi, Games, NFTs, Social, Infrastructure, and DAOs categories. Some notable projects in these categories include the following efforts: - **[Ramp](https://www.dappland.com/ramp)** — *A simple UI for getting funds onto StarkNet* - **[Layerswap](https://www.dappland.com/layerswap)** — *A CEX to L2 gateway* - **[Orbiter.Finance](https://www.dappland.com/orbiterfinance)** — *A cross-rollup bridge* - **[JediSwap](https://www.dappland.com/jediswap)** — *A community-led automated market maker (AMM) exchange* - **[briq](https://www.dappland.com/briq)** — *An NFT building protocol, a la Minecraft* - **[Realms](https://www.dappland.com/realms)** — *An onchain game situated in the Loot universe* - **[Mint Square](https://www.dappland.com/mintsquare)** — *An NFT marketplace* - **[StarkBoard](https://www.dappland.com/starkboard)** — *An analytics data hub* - **[Voyager](https://www.dappland.com/voyager)** — *A StarkNet block explorer service* - **[Cartridge](https://www.dappland.com/cartridge)** — *A StarkNet gaming console* --- ## **The STRK token 101** > “*If you are an end user, use StarkNet — but only as it serves your needs today. Use it for those transactions and applications that you value, not in expectation of any future reward of StarkNet Tokens. When Community Provisions are announced, they will refer only to snapshots that have occurred previous to the announcement date, and will filter and exclude usage that is deemed by it to be an abuse and gamification of the network, based on the information available at that point in time.*” — [StarkNet Token Design](https://medium.com/starkware/part-3-starknet-token-design-5cc17af066c6) StarkNet isn’t going to have a gameable airdrop. If you used the L2 in the past, you may be in line. But if you’re trying to cram in late, that’s likely going to be counterproductive as the StarkWare team is looking to defend against people who are just trying to game the protocol in the “final hours,” so to speak. That said, the STRK token is a real thing. While the token isn’t transferable or purchasable yet, STRK has been [deployed on the Ethereum mainnet](https://medium.com/starkware/starknet-token-is-deployed-on-ethereum-f27f0000b00c) ahead of an official token plan implementation. One [tentative plan](https://medium.com/starkware/part-3-starknet-token-design-5cc17af066c6) seeks to distribute 9% of the STRK token supply to StarkNet community members. --- ## **Key StarkNet resource** Want to keep up with all things StarkNet without having to spend a ton of time doing weekly research? One must-have resource you need to work into your info diet is the Swagtimus.eth L2’22 newsletter. > I just published [#StarkNet](https://twitter.com/hashtag/StarkNet?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) Roundup #42✨🐺Every week, I publish a comprehensive summary of everything that's happening in the StarkNet protocol and ecosystem.Here's this week's roundup. Don't forget to subscribe, it's free![https://t.co/KF6keGR4yc](https://t.co/KF6keGR4yc)— Swagtimus.eth🦇🔊L2'22 (@Swagtimus) [November 20, 2022](https://twitter.com/Swagtimus/status/1594369428581683200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) This newsletter is the premier destination for learning about all things new with StarkNet. Published every week, this column will help you maintain a firsthand view of the StarkNet ecosystem’s evolutions as it progresses, so double down here if you want to stay current with everything StarkNet! ## **The future is bright for StarkNet** StarkNet is extremely promising and will likely be a dominant L2 for years to come. The network is particularly well-positioned to scale. It’s uniquely suited for a ubiquitous light client-centric future, where people manage all of their Ethereum affairs with nodes on smartphones. > StarkNet magic, the long term vision: You get far greater throughput than any current solution, running on expensive dedicated servers. But you can verify it all with an Ethereum light client (or stateless client for full security) on your smartphone. Paradigm shift! [https://t.co/LumdgpNLhd](https://t.co/LumdgpNLhd)— polynya (@apolynya) [October 24, 2021](https://twitter.com/apolynya/status/1452181305790275589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) For now, though, learning about how to use early StarkNet apps will position you to quickly become a veteran in an L2 space that stands to grow tremendously from here! --- ### **Action steps** - 💳 Create a **StarkNet wallet** with Braavos - 🏄 Surf **Dappland **for StarkNet apps - 🦄 Also check out our previous tactic **[How to Double Down on DeFi](https://newsletter.banklesshq.com/p/defi-crypto-maker-aave-uniswap-saver)**