Beyond the Blockchain

Probe to Mars

tl;dr;

  • StarkWare has a set of software tools that allows for the creation of cryptographic proofs that attest to the computational integrity of the execution of a computer program
  • Cryptographic proofs enable regular computers (ex. a laptop) to keep supercomputers in check
  • Blockchains guarantee computational integrity by replying the same transaction over and over
  • Although used to create an Ethereum layer 2, this technology can be used outside of the blockchain as well
  • This technology can be the tool of choice for Enterprises
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Four Challenges to StarkNet’s Success

Boxing match

tl;dr

  1. Vendor lock-in: difficulty moving away from StarkWare’s ecosystem
  2. System centralization: the Sequencer and the Prover are operated by StarkWare
  3. Steep learning curve: Cairo is hard to learn and the documentation has gaps
  4. Upgradable smart contracts: StarkWare can make changes at any time
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Starknet’s Architecture Review

StarkNet's logo

The architecture shown in this article has inaccuracies. Do not use it as a reference until updated (if ever). In the meantime, refer to the official Starknet docs.

tl;dr

  • Starknet’s user accounts (wallets) are implemented as smart contracts.
  • The system has 3 off-chain components (Sequencer, Prover and Full Nodes) and 2 on-chain (Verifier and Core).
  • The current system architecture is able to handle more transactions than Ethereum but with a higher delay for finality.
  • A dual checkpoint mechanism has been proposed to reduce time to finality without compromising cost.
  • An L2 transaction can be on any of these states: NOT_RECEIVED, RECEIVED, PENDING, ACCEPTED_ON_L2, ACCEPTED_ON_L1 or REJECTED.
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