Odaily News: Blockchain data analytics platform Nansen released its "Starknet H1 2026 Report," stating that in the first half of 2026, Starknet completed its strategic transformation from a high-performance Layer 2 network to a "privacy-preserving execution layer." The launch of the STRK20 privacy framework and the Bitcoin asset strkBTC became the ecosystem's most significant upgrades.
The report notes that as an Ethereum-based ZK-Rollup network, Starknet generates STARK proofs off-chain and verifies them on-chain, achieving high throughput and low transaction costs. Its smart contracts use the Cairo language, specifically designed for verifiable computation, and support native account abstraction functionality.
In the first half of this year, Starknet launched the v0.14.2 upgrade, introducing the SNIP-36 protocol to lay the technical foundation for private transactions. This upgrade allows the network to directly verify off-chain execution proofs, enabling confidential state transitions without exposing account balances or counterparty information. Additionally, SNIP-37 adjusted the network's economic model, increasing storage costs while lowering base gas fees to optimize incentives for long-term state growth.
In terms of privacy applications, Starknet launched the STRK20 privacy framework, which allows users to convert any ERC-20 asset into encrypted balances and conduct private transfers, trades, and DeFi interactions. The system is built on zero-knowledge proof technology and implements compliant auditing through an encrypted viewing key mechanism, protecting user privacy while supporting targeted information disclosure in regulatory scenarios.
On-chain data shows that in Q2 2026, Starknet recorded an average daily transaction volume of approximately 239,000 and an average of about 50,000 daily active addresses. During the period, a total of 22.5 million transactions were completed, involving approximately 71,000 users. Among these, DEX aggregator AVNU contributed roughly 14 million transactions, accounting for 62.2% of total volume; gaming infrastructure Cartridge contributed 6.57 million transactions, with the two combined accounting for approximately 91% of transaction activity.
