Privacy | March 10, 2026

Starknet Wants Private Tokens Without Leaving DeFi

The new STRK20 framework aims to make balances and transfers private while keeping tokens usable across normal Ethereum-style financial apps. That is a technical move with political weight.

Starknet says it is building a new token framework called STRK20 that would let developers launch privacy-focused stablecoins and other assets on its Ethereum Layer 2 network. The goal is to keep token balances and transfers hidden from the public while keeping the assets usable inside ordinary DeFi systems.

That sounds like a niche feature until you think about what public ledgers expose. Stablecoins help people move dollars faster, but they also make balances, flows, and counterparties easier to inspect. For traders, firms, payroll systems, and anyone moving size, that can be a serious weakness. Public visibility invites front-running, surveillance, and strategy leakage. Privacy is not just about hiding bad behavior. Sometimes it is about making normal financial activity possible without broadcasting your full position to the world.