Starknet launches STRK20 privacy framework for shielded ERC20 transfers
The zero-knowledge system adds private balances and transfers on Starknet while using viewing keys to support legally required disclosures, with strkBTC as its first major use case.
Starknet has introduced STRK20, a zero-knowledge privacy framework that it says lets developers add shielded balances and private transfers for any ERC20 asset on its network without building a separate privacy stack. The system is designed to support transfers, swaps, lending, staking (locking crypto to earn rewards), payments, and donations, while using viewing keys to disclose only information tied to legally binding requests. Starknet said STRK20 is not a mixer because shielding is built directly into the asset flow rather than sending funds to a separate destination to obscure history. The framework's first major use case is strkBTC, which brings shielded balances and private transfers to bitcoin activity on Starknet and allows the asset to move between public and private modes through supported wallets and applications. Damian Chen, VP of Growth at the Starknet Foundation, called it "practical privacy," while StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson said ZK (zero-knowledge cryptography) privacy tools could eventually enable more targeted regulatory investigations with less collateral impact on unrelated wallets.
- ERC20: A common token standard on Ethereum-compatible networks.
- viewing keys: Permissions that let selected transaction details be disclosed.
- ZK: Zero-knowledge cryptography that proves facts without revealing underlying data.