Ethereum News Today: Institutional Trust Bolsters Starknet Amid Outage Challenges

Anchorage Digital, a prominent digital asset custodian, has announced its support for STRK staking on Starknet, marking a significant development for the Ethereum layer-2 network. This move aligns with the broader trend of institutional participation in blockchain ecosystems and underscores the growing importance of staking as a revenue-generating mechanism for token holders.

Starknet, which recently launched its Grinta upgrade, is undergoing a transition toward a more decentralized architecture. The upgrade, which includes a multi-sequencer model, is a critical step in Starknet’s journey to enhance trust minimization and ensure neutral transaction inclusion. With Anchorage Digital’s entry into the staking ecosystem, the platform gains a major institutional player that can bolster network security and liquidity for STRK holders. This development is particularly timely given Starknet’s recent operational challenges, including a recent four-hour outage following the Grinta upgrade, which raised questions about the network’s reliability and stability [2].

The announcement by Anchorage Digital adds to Starknet’s momentum in the Ethereum layer-2 (L2) ecosystem. As of the latest data, Starknet ranks fifth among Ethereum L2 networks in terms of user activity, with a reported 7.03 user operations per second on September 1. However, the network’s 30-day activity saw a decline of 4.80%, signaling potential challenges in maintaining user engagement amid rising competition from other L2 solutions such as Arbitrum One and Base Chain [4].

The Grinta upgrade, while intended to improve decentralization and scalability, exposed vulnerabilities in Starknet’s infrastructure. The recent outage forced developers to roll back blocks and require users to resubmit transactions, highlighting the need for robust contingency planning in blockchain upgrades. The incident also triggered a temporary dip in STRK’s price, which fell by over 3% in 24 hours during the outage. Despite a partial recovery, the token continued to trade at a loss, reflecting investor sensitivity to network disruptions [4].

Anchorage Digital’s support for STRK staking introduces an additional layer of credibility to the token’s utility. Staking enables token holders to earn rewards by locking their assets to validate transactions and maintain network security. With the introduction of standardized paymasters and a fee market in the Grinta upgrade, Starknet is positioning itself to attract more participants to its ecosystem. The minimum l2_gas base price of 3 gFri is intended to ensure that fees cover operational costs, especially during periods of low Ethereum gas prices. This mechanism is expected to stabilize the network’s economics and provide a sustainable model for sequencer participation [2].

The broader implications of Anchorage Digital’s move extend beyond Starknet. As institutional adoption of blockchain technology continues to accelerate, staking services are becoming a key differentiator for custodial platforms. By supporting STRK staking, Anchorage Digital reinforces its position as a leader in digital asset custody while also contributing to the broader maturation of the Ethereum L2 market. This development could encourage other institutional players to explore similar opportunities in the growing L2 space.

Source:

[1] title1 (https://www.cryptopolitan.com/)

[2] title2 (https://www.starknet.io/blog/starknet-grinta-the-architecture-of-a-more-decentralized-future/)

[3] title3 (https://cointelegraph.com/news/starknet-outage-ethereum-l2-reliability-concerns)

[4] title4 (https://www.thecoinrepublic.com/2025/09/03/ethereum-l2-starknet-back-online-after-brief-outage-what-happened/)