Starknet Launches Appchains with SN Stack

Ethereum Layer 2 project Starknet now enables developers to launch appchains using its software offering, SN Stack, marking a move towards increased modularity within its ecosystem. Appchains are independent blockchains tailored to specific applications.

Starknet noted that its appchain stack incorporates essential components:
– Starknet OS for blockchain operations
– CairoVM for smart contract execution
– Blockifier for block construction
– Cryptographic provers and verifiers.

SN Stack is provided in three variants to meet different developmental needs:
1. Madara: A flexible, open-source modular framework.
2. Dojo: Optimized for gaming and advanced on-chain applications.
3. StarkWare Sequencer: Delivers Starknet’s entire infrastructure for dapps requiring high performance.

Eli Ben-Sasson, co-founder and CEO of Starknet’s core developer StarkWare, stated, “From now on, projects will be able to build appchains using the gold-standard ZK-STARK cryptography with the ease and low cost that has only been possible with optimistic rollups.”

An appchain called Paradex has been running as a design partner for the current SN Stack introduction.

2024 marked a significant year for Ethereum’s Layer 2 ecosystem, as the number of rollups surpassed 100—tripling from the end of 2023. This growth has been driven by increasing demand for scalable solutions and the availability of many development tools.

The emergence of modular Layer 2s is supported by developers increasingly using software stacks offered by popular projects such as Optimism, Arbitrum, ZKsync, Linea, and now Starknet.