Starknet builds privacy pools
Starknet announced a protocol‑level privacy pool for ERC‑20 tokens powered by ZK research, with DeFi integrations expected in the coming weeks — a material development for private liquidity and MEV resistance on L2s. The pool aims to give users selective privacy without leaving the Starknet execution environment. (x.com)
Starknet published the STRK20 framework on March 10, 2026, a token-level privacy design developed by StarkWare to enable shielded ERC‑20 behavior on Starknet. (starknet.io) Engineers set concrete performance targets for shielded flows: settlement under five seconds and per-transaction costs below $0.20. (theblock.co) Live DeFi touchpoints announced for launch include anonymous swaps routed through the Ekubo concentrated‑liquidity AMM and private staking primitives for assets such as BTC and STRK. (fxstreet.com) Compliance is built into the design via encrypted viewing keys that users register on‑chain, enabling scoped disclosure to auditors, regulators, or law enforcement when legally required. (theblock.co) The architecture funnels shielded activity through a single Starknet Privacy Pool and verifies each private transfer with zero‑knowledge proofs, avoiding wrapped token fragmentation. (starknet.io) Market reaction was immediate: STRK ticked roughly +2% on initial reports and later registered a short‑term ~6% bounce from a March 8 low after rollout coverage, and CEO Eli Ben‑Sasson said the feature could accelerate institutional stablecoin adoption “up about five gears.” (fxstreet.com)
