Daydreaming about Starknet
Advancements in developer tooling, network performance and exciting AI integrations
Dear developer,
2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for Starknet. STWO and Garaga are pushing the boundaries of ZK, while Daydreams and Starknet Agent Kit are making AI-powered blockchain applications a reality. Starknet’s latest version, v0.13.5, promises major performance gains with Cairo Native, and one of the Starknet Foundation’s newest announcements hints at an exciting new multi-chain future.
At the Starknet Foundation’s EthDenver hacker house, developers wasted no time turning these innovations into reality. Their energy reaffirmed one thing: the Starknet ecosystem doesn’t wait—it builds.
tl;dr
Network Updates
New AI Frameworks
Privacy on Starknet
Founder’s Basecamp
Other News
#1: Network Updates
Starknet has now deployed v0.13.5 to mainnet. This upgrade brings much anticipated improvements to the network’s performance. It does, however, come at the cost of a few breaking changes. At a high level, the new version brings:
Cairo Native: A compiler that transforms Sierra into machine code using tools like MLIR (Multi-Level Intermediate Representation). This process allows Cairo programs to run directly on the system's hardware, eliminating the overhead associated with VM-based execution. Learn more here.
RPC Versions: Starknet full nodes will only support RPC versions v0.7 and above from now on. Please be careful to update accordingly. More on compatibility here.
Wallet<>Dapp API: New version streamlines communication between Dapps and wallets by introducing a standardized, message-based interface. This decouples wallet implementations from specific versions of Starknet.js. More here.
The update also optimizes Starknet’s blob usage, as explained here. Meanwhile, Cairo has seen notable enhancements such as the addition of new traits to the core library. The update also introduces storage scrubbing mechanisms to optimize on-chain data usage. Syntax improvements, such as early returns and error propagation within loops further enhance control flow management. Keep in touch with the latest releases here.
#2: New AI Frameworks
AI agents are quickly becoming the hottest trend in crypto. Unlike traditional LLMs like GPT-4 or Claude, agents can interact with systems, learn from feedback, and execute tasks without human intervention. Combined with the transparency and financial rails offered by blockchains, AI agents can unlock a new frontier. A frontier of self-governing entities capable of managing assets, executing trades, and enforcing digital contracts.
The Starknet ecosystem now boasts integrations with two agentic frameworks:
Eliza x Daydreams: Daydreams is a generative agent framework for Eliza, which uses a "hierarchical task network" to constantly update agents as they pursue goals like winning an on-chain game or optimizing DeFi strategies.
Starknet Agent Kit: A starter kit which allows developers to quickly build full stack agent-driven apps on the Starknet blockchain. It is available as both an NPM package as well as a NestJS server. Learn how to use it below.
The Starknet hacker house at Denver saw several teams leverage these frameworks in their projects. Now that you have these tools as well, what will you build?
#3: Privacy on Starknet
As mentioned in the last edition of this newsletter, it is now possible to leverage the Garaga toolchain to settle privacy-preserving transactions on Starknet. This is done by leveraging the innovative architecture of the Aztec blockchain, another layer 2 on Ethereum, and using efficient elliptic curve pairings to verify Aztec’s client-side SNARK proofs on Starknet via a Cairo smart contract.
The Garaga team is also actively working on a new, more ZK-friendly version of Noir proofs called `Ultra Starknet`. Ultra will replace the traditional Keccak hash function used by Noir’s UltraHonk proof scheme with Poseidon hashes, making them more suitable in the context of Cairo smart contracts.
If you’re interested in spinning up your own privacy-preserving Dapp on Starknet, please refer to this excellent boilerplate template to do so. For ideas and inspiration, check out this talk.
#4: Founder Basecamp
Got a proof of concept or winning idea but unsure of exactly how to turn it into a real startup? You’re not alone. It’s not easy turning a great idea into a project that is clear, convincing and actionable.
That’s where Founder Basecamp comes in…
Founder Basecamp isn’t just another startup course—it’s a hands-on, no-fluff, real-world launchpad where you’ll get the help you need to refine your idea, test it out, and acquire the skills to pitch it like a pro. By participating, you will:
Turn your initial idea into a clear and compelling business concept.
Learn how to validate your idea with real-world insights.
Build the skills needed to successfully fundraise.
Gain confidence and clarity to take your startup forward.
Interested? Learn more and register here.
#5: Other News
As per a recent announcement, Starknet aims to become the first Layer 2 solution to settle on both Ethereum and Bitcoin. By doing so, it would be leveraging its high throughput to enhance scalability while also increasing interoperability in the space.
You can also read more about this initiative, and the various efforts being made to turn this vision into a reality, in this blog post.
And finally, don’t just get lost in your phone! There are tons of amazing IRL Starknet events taking place in a town or city near you. You could not only use these as an opportunity to find fellow Starknet builders, but also to share your projects and get feedback on your ideas. Upcoming events are available here.
Summary
Now that you're up to speed, let’s get building. Whether it’s powering autonomous systems or pushing the boundaries of blazing-fast ZK technology, Starknet gives you the tools to make it happen. There’s an entire world of groundbreaking applications waiting to be created—and it’s just getting started.
The next wave of blockchain innovation is yours to shape.