Starknet Quantum Leap

Starkware has successfully deployed Starknet Alpha V0.12.0 on the Mainnet, marking a significant milestone in enhancing Ethereum's capacity. The latest update has resulted in a tenfold increase in the network's throughput, thanks to notable improvements made to the Sequencer.

A major enhancement introduced in v0.12.0 is the integration of Cairo rs, a highly efficient Cairo runner developed by LambdaClass in Rust. This integration has greatly improved the execution of Cairo contracts, ultimately enhancing the user experience. Additionally, the StarkWare team has introduced the Blockifier, a Rust-based block execution logic that optimizes transaction execution times, reducing wait times and alleviating network congestion.

Papyrus, the local storage solution, has played a crucial role in managing the Sequencer's local state, ensuring overall system performance and responsiveness are optimized.

This update is just the beginning of the journey towards further performance improvements. The next step involves integrating the cairo_native compiler developed by LambdaClass, enabling even more efficient execution of Cairo contracts by allowing them to run as "native code" similar to Rust.

No more “Pending” status

Furthermore, the release of v0.12.0 brings UX improvements, including the elimination of the 'PENDING' status and the introduction of the new 'ACCEPTED_ON_L2' status, providing finality and reducing confusion for users. The update also introduces a new Cairo syntax that enhances safety and supports the new syscall called get_block_hash, simplifying the retrieval of past block hashes.

Starknet's journey continues with the upcoming implementation and testing of Starknet 0.12.1, the second part of the Mainnet Quantum Leap. This release aims to improve network efficiency by introducing fees for failed transactions, discouraging wasteful attempts and maintaining optimal network performance.

Short-term goals

Starknet's mid-term roadmap includes addressing challenges related to storage, which currently accounts for over 90% of Starknet transaction costs. In response, the team plans to introduce Volition in Starknet 0.13, allowing dApp developers to choose their desired security level for contract storage by storing data either on Ethereum at a higher cost or on Starknet at a more affordable price point. Volition will undergo thorough testing on the testnet before its official launch.

Additionally, Starkware Ltd. eagerly anticipates the release of EIP4844 on the Ethereum mainnet, as it plans to promptly adopt it to reduce the cost of Starknet on-chain data.

Looking ahead to Q4, Starknet 0.14 will introduce a fee market for transactions on Starknet, transitioning from the current fixed gas price per block system to a first-come, first-served transaction processing system. The team also intends to reintroduce parallel transactions, a feature temporarily removed in the 0.12 release due to the superior performance of the new Rust engine.

To learn more about the STARK quantum leap update, refer to the official announcement.