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StarkWare

22 pieces · Jan 2022 to Oct 2025 · 5 flagship

Sectors

ZK20 L1/L212 Ethereum5 Privacy4 Perps3 Market structure2

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Start here · the strongest pieces on StarkWare

Explainer06 Jan 2023SNARKs vs STARKs: Zcash, Mina, Dusk, Manta, Starknet and zkSyncLong explainer on SNARKs and STARKs: Zcash pioneered SNARKs, Mina uses them for a 22kb chain, Dusk and Manta apply them for privacy, zkSync for scaling. STARKs, used by Starknet, avoid trusted setup but carry compute overhead.Map05 Jun 2024The Ultimate ZK Landscape 2.0: zkVMs, zkEVMs, proving, aggregation and privacyLandscape of the ZK stack by category: zkVMs, zkEVMs, universal proving and verification layers, proof aggregation, hardware acceleration and privacy projects. Asks the audience what is missing.Explainer30 Aug 2023Modular stack part 1: execution layers and virtual machinesExplains monolithic versus modular design (execution, settlement, DA, consensus) and walks through the EVM and the three routes to a zkEVM: prove the EVM trace directly, map EVM opcodes to a custom VM, or transpile Solidity to a custom VM.

Timeline · every piece, newest first

2025 3

10 Oct 2025Top 5 perp DEXes by volume: three run on Starknet's SN stackTop five perp DEXes did $38B in 24h and over $663B in 30d volume, and three (Paradex, edgeX, ApeX) build on Starknet tech. Points out StarkEx's continued relevance since dYdX moved to Cosmos in 2023.DataPerpsZK7 likes

03 Oct 2025Paradex architecture: RPI, zero-fee PFOF and unified portfolio marginBreaks down Paradex's design: flow segmentation via RPI, PFOF funding zero retail fees, STARK-proven settlement, universal portfolio margin via CairoVM, perpetual options, state-diff data posting and multi-stream revenue. Distribution against incumbents is the open test.BreakdownPerpsZKMarket structure29 likes

28 Sep 2025Paradex thesis: first-principles redesign of CLOB DEX market structureWhy Paradex could be one of multiple CLOB winners: flow segmentation with RPI, PFOF zero-fee model, STARK-proven hybrid architecture, unified portfolio margin, perpetual options, vaults, XUSD and privacy by design.BreakdownPerpsZKMarket structure48 likes

2024 5

07 Jun 2024OP_CAT explained: Merkle trees in Bitcoin Script and trustless ZK rollupsExplains OP_CAT (concatenation) as the opcode that enables Merkle tree creation and verification in Bitcoin Script, which is the core operation needed for STARK verification. Argues this opens the door to fully trust-minimized rollups on Bitcoin without overloading the chain.ExplainerBitcoinZK10 likes

05 Jun 2024StarkWare, OP_CAT and STARKs as the path to Bitcoin L2sExplains why StarkWare funds OP_CAT research: it is the one covenant opcode that enables Merkle tree verification needed for STARK-based validity rollups on Bitcoin. Adds that STARKs are transparent and post-quantum secure, and could bring privacy to Bitcoin L2s.ThesisBitcoinZK13 likes

05 Jun 2024The Ultimate ZK Landscape 2.0: zkVMs, zkEVMs, proving, aggregation and privacyLandscape of the ZK stack by category: zkVMs, zkEVMs, universal proving and verification layers, proof aggregation, hardware acceleration and privacy projects. Asks the audience what is missing.MapZKPrivacy112 likes

01 Jun 2024The ZK trademark saga: Matter Labs, zkSync and the community backlashTimeline of the dispute over Matter Labs' ZK trademark filings in nine countries, from the ZK ticker beef with Polyhedra to the ZK pledge and its backlash. Concludes Matter Labs must withdraw the applications to repair trust.BreakdownL1/L2ZK93 likes

31 Jan 2024Mangata security: escape hatches and the master rollup designExplains rollup escape hatches and safety versus liveness, then how Mangata's master rollup sequences for several L1s with EigenLayer settlement so deposits stay withdrawable even if connected chains are down. ZK validation uses StarkWare tech.ExplainerL1/L2DeFiZK82 likes

2023 7

02 Oct 2023Vistara: one-click app-specific and sovereign rollups with modular componentsBreaks down Vistara's rollup-as-a-service where builders pick execution, sequencer, DA, interop and proving from a UI. Initially sovereign optimistic rollups on Celestia with Dymension settlement, with ZK via SHARP or Bonsai planned.BreakdownL1/L234 likes

30 Aug 2023Modular stack part 1: execution layers and virtual machinesExplains monolithic versus modular design (execution, settlement, DA, consensus) and walks through the EVM and the three routes to a zkEVM: prove the EVM trace directly, map EVM opcodes to a custom VM, or transpile Solidity to a custom VM.ExplainerL1/L2ZK65 likes

13 Jul 2023zkSync Era as a volition: zkPorter accounts and Guardian-secured off-chain DAExplains that zkSync Era splits state into zkRollup (on-chain DA) and zkPorter (off-chain DA secured by token-holder Guardians who can be slashed), letting users choose their own security threshold for lower fees.ExplainerZKL1/L221 likes

14 Jan 2023L2 node client diversity and Starknet's Papyrus full nodeArgues client diversity prevents single points of failure and censorship in rollup networks. Starknet has Pathfinder (Rust), Juno (Go) and the new Papyrus, whose flat key/value storage should speed up the still centralized sequencer.ExplainerZKL1/L26 likes

11 Jan 2023Rollup vs validium vs volition: data availability modes for zk execution layersShort classification of zk-powered layers by where data lives: zk rollups post proof and data on ETH, validiums keep data off-chain, volitions can switch between both.ExplainerZKL1/L29 likes

08 Jan 2023App-specific L3 rollups on Starknet and custom VMsArgues app-specific L3 rollups with customized dev environments and custom VM support, built on a generalized STARK-powered Starknet layer, will make Ethereum a global player. Links the StarkWare L3 vision thread.Market takeL1/L2ZKEthereum21 likes

06 Jan 2023SNARKs vs STARKs: Zcash, Mina, Dusk, Manta, Starknet and zkSyncLong explainer on SNARKs and STARKs: Zcash pioneered SNARKs, Mina uses them for a 22kb chain, Dusk and Manta apply them for privacy, zkSync for scaling. STARKs, used by Starknet, avoid trusted setup but carry compute overhead.ExplainerZKPrivacyL1/L2284 likes

2022 7

27 Dec 2022ZK and modular stack watchlist: zkEVMs, zkVM, Aleo and EspressoSelection of projects under review: zkEVMs (Scroll, zkSync, StarkWare, Polygon Hermez, Kakarot), RISC Zero zkVM, Specular EVM-native optimistic rollup, Aleo private L1 and Espresso decentralized sequencers. States a modular bull stance.MapZKL1/L2Privacy270 likes

16 Sep 2022Complete guide to Starknet: Cairo, STARKs and ecosystem appsExplains Starknet's STARK-based design, Cairo language and Warp transpiler, the single StarkWare sequencer, the future token, and a list of testnet and alpha dApps for airdrop positioning.ExplainerZKEthereum14 likes

13 Sep 2022zkEVM explained: zkSync, Starknet, Scroll and Polygon approachesExplains the EVM and what a zkEVM is, then classifies the projects by compatibility level. zkSync and Starknet transpile at the language level, Scroll and Polygon target bytecode level, with caveats on EVM equivalence claims.ExplainerZKEthereumL1/L223 likes

15 Jun 2022Index: rollup scaling, data availability and L2 airdrop threads (June 2022)Thread of threads indexing the author's rollup work: scaling intro, rollup landscape, EIP-4844, Optimism, Arbitrum, Metis, L3, dAMM, airdrop guides and the DA and Celestia series.MapEthereumL1/L25 likes

11 Jun 2022StarkWare's distributed AMM (dAMM): L1 liquidity for L2 tradingExplains the dAMM design where liquidity stays on L1 while an off-chain operator processes L2 trade batches and settles the net difference, allowing several L2s to share one liquidity pool without fragmentation.ExplainerDeFiZK2 likes

10 Jun 2022Layer 3 scaling on StarkNet: recursive validity proofs explainedExplains StarkWare's L3 vision where validity proofs from L3 are verified on an L2 that itself posts proofs to L1, multiplying compression, enabling cheap L3 to L3 interoperability and app-specific customization.ExplainerEthereumZK8 likes

26 Jan 2022Zero-knowledge proofs explained: SNARKs, STARKs and Manta's private DeFiCovers ZK proof properties, SNARK versus STARK trade-offs (trusted setup, post-quantum risk, scalability), then Manta's DAP and DAX private payments and AMM, and closes with a map of ZK rollups on Ethereum.ExplainerZKPrivacy26 likes

Often covered with

Starknet39 zkSync41 Celestia145 Zcash33 Scroll26 Paradex26 RISC Zero53 Polygon29

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