What’s unique about strk20, beyond the amazing UX, is Composability. It's the first time that within the privacy cloak you can do full DeFi loops and flows, not just single actions like transfers. This is a big deal because it’ll create a larger anonymity set than all prior solutions, so you’ll get, practically, better privacy. The ease of changing the stack lets you build new things. Want to build new DeFi flows with privacy? Just write the contracts for them.

Very few people understand the challenge of creating privacy that also allows composability. STRK20 is basically a privacy layer. This design is what allows users to do full DeFi operations instead of just single actions (e.g. transfers).

The biggest challenge for crypto is explaining why users should care in the first place. To get there, we need to change the jargon. We need to get to the point where when we talk about "decentralized finance", people would hear "empowered users".

People compare crypto adoption to AI adoption, but the starting conditions are different. AI says: "here's a new capability you didn't have before". Crypto says: "replace the financial system you already use". Very different ask. AI is free to test, instantly useful, and saves time from day one. Crypto often requires an effort to learn and educate yourself, you'll need to pay actual $ just to try it and see what's this all about, and it takes time for you to see that it pays off. AI is a technological innovation. Crypto is a financial change and financial behavior changes slowly.

ZK delivers scale, and ZK delivers privacy, and it does both by relying on a proof. This moon-math proof is key to everything: It attests to the validity of txs, and verifying the proof alone is enough to know that you can update the state based on these txs without having to re-execute them (that's how we get scale), and without having to see their details (that's how we get privacy). If you want a simplified (but long!) explanation about HOW do you build such a moon-math proof, this article is for you. Enjoy ;-)

Take a minute to appreciate the great poem If by Kipling. Which line resonates most with you? If you can keep your head when all about you     Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,     But make allowance for their doubting too: If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,     Or being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated don't give way to hating,     And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise; If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;     If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim, If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster     And treat those two impostors just the same: If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken     Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,     And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools; If you can make one heap of all your winnings     And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings     ⁠And never breathe a word about your loss: If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew     To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you     ⁠Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!' If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,     Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,     If all men count with you, but none too much: If you can fill the unforgiving minute     With sixty seconds' worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,     ⁠And—which is more—you'll be a Man, my son![

Blockchain's lack of privacy is a real barrier to mass adoption, much like clunky UX or limited scalability. Unlocking privacy on blockchain is a milestone step toward unlocking mass adoption. Still, there's more work to be done. Which feature should be unlocked next?

Institutional bitcoin has remained parked for a decade because moving it on-chain exposes your position, your counterparty, and your intent before the trade settles. @Decentralisedco just wrote the clearest breakdown of why that's changing and how strkBTC is the first asset to bring compliant privacy, full composability, and a shared anonymity set to Bitcoin DeFi. Read the full piece 👇

Quantum computers work differently than non-quantum computers. When they need to solve a maze, or break a password, whether they are faster than classical computers or not depends on how the maze is built. In some cases, a quantum computer won't be much faster than a non-quantum computer. Those mazes will be quantum safe.

With privacy, sometimes less is more. Or: why do you get *better* privacy with strk20 than with Zcash, even though you get less privacy overall? With Zcash only you and your counterparty are privy to a transaction, but it’s hard on your computer and you can’t do shielded Defi (lending, borrowing, other assets). On Starknet there’s an operator who sees details of your transaction, in addition to you and your counter party. So it seems that Starknet gives you less privacy. But privacy is also a function of the size of the crowd youre blending into, and the amount of economic activity that’s shielded. There more of it that happens in your privacy pool, the more protection and privacy you get. So, on Starknet, because you have better UX, and composability with Defi, you’ll likely do a lot more activity and so will others. And this will end up giving everyone better privacy and protection. Analogy goes somewhere here: You can protect your house by building it all underground, with no windows. Or you can go with a nice stone and concrete house that has windows and doors. Less security, more convenience and for most practical purposes better.

Crypto has a storytelling problem. @rkbaggs was joined by @EliBenSasson and @NathanOnCrypto of @StarkWareLtd to discuss their new book, Zero Knowledge, Infinite Trust! Privacy, trust, and the personal stories that underpin blockchain. #CHAINREACTION#

THIS IS HUGE. Bitcoin is Quantum-Safe TODAY. Even if a quantum computer appeared, one that breaks the conventional Bitcion signatures, it shows a practical way to create safe Bitcoin transactions. WITH NO CHANGE TO BITCOIN PROTOCOL!!!