- With the upgrade, Bitcoin holders can now participate in Starknet’s consensus.
- The Layer-2 has shortened the unstaking period to 7 days to increase staker flexibility.
- STRK rose more than 2% following the announcement.
Cryptocurrencies traded cautiously on Monday as markets awaited this week’s interest rate decision, an event likely to shape market direction in the coming sessions.
Bitcoin is hovering near $116,000, while Ethereum’s stability above $4,600 has renewed conversations about an altcoin season.
Meanwhile, Layer-2 platform Starknet has finally launched Bitcoin staking.
The team briefly paused the staking platform to finalize the implementation before its official rollout, which occurred within hours.
The announcement read:
BTC staking integration has begun! The staking protocol is paused for a few hours while we implement this major upgrade.
The BTC staking integration has started!
The staking protocol is now paused for a few hours while we implement this massive update.
As a reminder, this upgrade will enable Bitcoiners to participate in Starknet’s consensus, with the following parameters:
– BTC staking power…— Starknet (@Starknet) September 15, 2025
Taken together, this move allows Bitcoin holders—via an Ethereum-based Layer-2—to participate in Starknet’s consensus for the first time.
Starknet focuses on ZK-rollups and scalability; integrating BTC staking underscores its commitment to decentralization and cross-chain collaboration.
The native token STRK turned higher after the announcement.
The digital token climbed from an intraday low of $0.1299 to a high of $0.139.
That represented a rise of more than 7%, signaling renewed interest in the Starknet ecosystem.
Starknet integrates BTC staking
The announcement noted that BTC would account for 25% of Starknet’s staking power, while STRK would control the remaining 75%.
That allocation aims to maintain balance and attract a broader base of stakers.
At launch, the staking protocol supports multiple wrapped Bitcoin tokens, including WBTC, tBTC, SolvBTC and LBTC.
The community will vote on additional options through governance proposals in the future.
As the BTC staking network grows, the staking model could evolve based on governance decisions.
The team temporarily paused the staking protocol to begin rolling out the upgrade.
Unstaking period shortened to 7 days
The upgrade brought several user-focused improvements.
One notable change is the significant reduction in the unstaking window for both STRK and BTC stakers—from 21 days down to 7 days.
The shorter withdrawal period is important for participants who value responsiveness in fast-moving crypto markets.
Users can react more quickly to price moves with a shorter lockup, improving capital efficiency.
This flexibility is likely to create new opportunities for yield-seeking strategies and could increase Starknet’s on-chain liquidity.
Making unstaking more flexible addresses one of the biggest pain points for would-be stakers.
As a result, Starknet can expect its TVL to grow as participation becomes more attractive.
What this means for Starknet and DeFi
Introducing BTC staking could make Starknet a more attractive destination for cross-chain decentralized finance (DeFi) activity.
Specifically, the Layer-2 plans to tap into Bitcoin’s deep liquidity pool and channel that capital into dApps built within the STRK ecosystem.
DeFi developers can leverage BTC liquidity to build lending protocols, yield strategies and derivatives markets on Starknet.
While the reaction was largely positive, one user on X criticized the upgrade, arguing it could dilute STRK’s value for holders.
The user questioned whether STRK would become an inflationary payout for developers and wrapped BTC stakers, asking where inherent value for STRK holders would remain.
Despite such concerns, Starknet’s roadmap emphasizes democratizing the DeFi landscape by unlocking Bitcoin’s substantial liquidity for use across its ecosystem.