Key notes
- The Starknet Foundation has awarded Alpen Labs a grant to accelerate the development of a shared verifier for the broader Bitcoin ecosystem.
- Glock technology uses scrambled circuitry and claims up to a thousand times lower on-chain verification costs compared to previous models such as BitVM.
- The initiative aims to unlock BTCFi use cases such as native staking and lending, without relying on less securely packaged assets or multisig setups.
Starknet collaborates with Bitcoin BTC $110 904 24-hour volatility: 0.4% Market capitalization: $2.21 T Vol. 24h: $77.65 B research firm Alpen Labs to build a highly secure, minimal-trust 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.
1/ Wrapped BTC paved the way, but it’s time for the next evolution.
Together with @AlpenLabs, we are building the most trust-inspiring bridge possible between Bitcoin and DeFi.
No honest majorities. No wrappers. Just pure, verifiable BTC on Starknet 🧵 pic.twitter.com/a1bWzrgZgW
— Starknet (BTCFi arc) (@Starknet) October 15, 2025
A new security model to protect Bitcoin
This initiative is a departure from traditional bridging models that often pose significant security challenges.
According to details in the project announcement and technical whitepaper, many existing solutions rely on trusted multisignature setups where signers conspire to steal money.
To prevent this, Glock uses a two-party computation protocol based on garbled circuits. This design enables complex authentication without revealing private input from either chain, eliminating the need for trusted intermediaries.
Starknet’s Strategy to Become a Bitcoin Hub
The partnership is a key part of Starknet’s commitment to scaling Bitcoin, a plan first laid out in March 2025 as part of the broader ‘BTCFi on Starknet’ initiative.
To achieve this goal, the Starknet Foundation has awarded a grant to Alpen Labs to develop and audit a shared Glock authenticator, which is intended as a public good for the broader Bitcoin ecosystem.
This boost is supported by an incentive program of STRK 100 million, intended to stimulate the development of the network. Alpen Labs claims its technology is highly efficient, with specific Glock25 variants achieving over 430-550x efficiency compared to models like BitVM2.
The new bridge allows users to stake and borrow their Bitcoin without taking away their holdings, and the announcement received a positive response from the crypto community.
This development comes as the broader Bitcoin market navigates through turbulence. The ecosystem has recently undergone a severe downturn, highlighted by market volatility that has led to more than $19.35 billion in liquidations.
Related article: Bitcoin Finally Fills the CME Gap, Here’s What to Expect Next
Despite these challenges, institutional conviction appears to persist, as evidenced by Strategy Inc.’s continued accumulation of 220 BTC.
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