Podcast Summary
This podcast episode features Abdel Bakhta, a former Ethereum core developer and current member of the Starknet community. The discussion revolves around the Starknet ecosystem, its community, and the unique features and potential use cases of Starknet. The conversation also delves into the importance of alignment within the community and the role of governance in shaping the network’s direction.
Key Takeaways
Abdel Bakhta’s Journey to Starknet
- Background and Experience: Abdel Bakhta, the guest, has a background in fintech and has been involved in the crypto space since discovering Bitcoin in 2012 and Ethereum in 2015. He worked at ConsenSys as an Ethereum core developer and contributed significantly to EIP 1559.
- Transition to Starknet: After exploring the Cosmos ecosystem, Abdell returned to Ethereum and focused on layer two scaling solutions, leading him to Starknet. He found Starknet to be the most promising layer two solution due to its interoperability vision and scalability potential.
Starknet Community and Governance
- Community Involvement: The Starknet community has taken on the responsibility of governance and stewardship of the network. The community participates in governance workshops and discussions, shaping the direction of Starknet.
- Decentralization Process: The decentralization process of Starknet has been gradual, with a small initial community that grew over time. The community was included in decision-making processes and provided feedback on pain points and needs.
Starknet’s Unique Features and Potential Use Cases
- Unique Features: Starknet offers unique features like native account abstraction, which offers flexibility for authentication logic in smart contracts. The ability for smart contract developers to choose their data layer on a granular level through volition is seen as a powerful feature.
- Potential Use Cases: There is enthusiasm for paymaster use cases and social finance use cases in the Starknet ecosystem. Onchain gaming is a prominent vertical on Stark, with projects like Dojo building an onchain gaming engine.
Starknet’s Growth Strategy
- Quality Over Quantity: The Starknet strategy has focused on quality over quantity, taking time to build a strong organic community. Embracing differences and encouraging people with unique and innovative ideas has been a key aspect of the Starknet approach.
- Expansion to Emerging Countries: Starknet has expanded its reach to emerging countries like Latin America and Africa, where the importance of crypto is more evident.
Starknet’s Future Plans
- Performance Improvements: Starknet is excited about various tracks, including fee reduction, performance improvements, and the development of unique features. The integration of 4844 with the next Ethereum upgrade is expected to significantly reduce fees, thanks to Starknet’s proving technology.
- Community Engagement: The speaker wants to create more bridges between the Starknet community and the Ethereum community, including in terms of research. They want a closer connection with the Ethereum Foundation (EF) and its research.
Sentiment Analysis
- Bullish: The overall sentiment of the podcast is bullish, with a focus on the promising features and potential of Starknet. The guest’s enthusiasm for Starknet’s unique approach to zero-knowledge technology, its scalability potential, and the active involvement of its community in governance and stewardship of the network contribute to this bullish sentiment.
- Neutral: There are also neutral sentiments expressed, particularly when discussing the challenges of decentralization and the need for more alignment and connection with the Ethereum community and the Ethereum Foundation.
