Key Notes
- The Starknet Foundation has awarded a grant to Alpen Labs to accelerate the development of a shared verifier for the broader Bitcoin ecosystem.
- Glock technology uses garbled circuits and claims up to a 1000x reduction in on-chain verification costs compared to previous models like BitVM.
- The initiative aims to unlock BTCFi use cases, such as native staking and borrowing, without relying on less secure wrapped assets or multisig setups.
Starknet is collaborating with Bitcoin BTC $110 904 24h volatility: 0.4% Market cap: $2.21 T Vol. 24h: $77.65 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.
1/ Wrapped BTC paved the way, but it’s time for the next evolution.
Together with @AlpenLabs, we’re building the most trust-minimized 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 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.
Related article: Bitcoin Finally Fills the CME Gap, Here’s What to Expect Next
Despite these challenges, institutional conviction appears to remain, as exemplified by Strategy Inc.’s ongoing corporate accumulation of 220 BTC.
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