Starknet Taps Alpen Labs to Build Trust-Minimized Bridge for Native Bitcoin DeFi

Starknet is collaborating with Bitcoin BTC $110 788 24h volatility: 1.3% Market cap: $2.21 T Vol. 24h: $78.40 B research firm Alpen Labs to build a highly secure, trust-minimized bridge connecting the two networks.

The partnership, confirmed on October 15, aims to unlock advanced decentralized finance (DeFi) capabilities for native Bitcoin holders directly on the Starknet platform.

A New Security Model to Protect Bitcoin

This initiative moves away from traditional bridging models that often introduce significant security vulnerabilities.

According to details in the project’s announcement and technical whitepaper, many existing solutions rely on trusted multisignature setups where signers could collude to steal funds.

To avoid this, Glock uses a two-party computation protocol based on garbled circuits. This design allows for complex verification without revealing private inputs from either chain, removing the need for trusted intermediaries.

Starknet’s Strategy to Become a Bitcoin Hub

The collaboration is a key part of Starknet’s stated commitment to scaling Bitcoin, a plan first detailed in March 2025 as part of its broader “BTCFi on Starknet” initiative.

Furthering this goal, the Starknet Foundation awarded a grant to Alpen Labs for the development and audit of a shared Glock verifier, which is intended to be a public good for the wider Bitcoin ecosystem.

The push is backed by a 100 million STRK incentives program designed to boost development on the network. Alpen Labs claims its technology is highly efficient, with specific Glock25 variants achieving over 430-550x efficiency versus models like BitVM2.

The new bridge will allow users to stake and borrow their Bitcoin without wrapping the asset, and the announcement was met with a positive reaction from the crypto community.

This development arrives as the broader Bitcoin market navigates turbulence. The ecosystem recently experienced a heavy drawdown, underscored by market volatility that led to over $19.35 billion in liquidations.

Despite these challenges, institutional conviction appears to remain, as exemplified by Strategy Inc.’s ongoing corporate accumulation of 220 BTC.

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