Institutional Backing Strengthens Starknet Ecosystem: Anchorage Digital Enables STRK Staking as Layer 2 Builds Resilience

Starknet’s recovery narrative accelerates as major institutional player Anchorage Digital—valued at $3 billion and the first crypto custodian to obtain US national bank status in 2021—formally launched support for STRK staking on its platform. This move marks a significant endorsement for institutions seeking regulated custody alongside yield-generating opportunities on the Ethereum Layer 2 network.

The timing reflects broader ecosystem strengthening efforts. Just weeks prior, Starknet secured overwhelming community approval (93.6% vote) for its Bitcoin staking integration proposal (SNIP-31). The framework allocates 25% staking power to wrapped Bitcoin assets including WBTC, LBTC, tBTC, and SolvBTC, with STRK maintaining 75% weighting. This dual-asset approach positions Starknet uniquely within the Layer 2 landscape, leveraging ZK-rollups and STARK proofs to maintain transaction efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Network Resilience Under Scrutiny, Then Recovery

The institutional optimism follows a challenging period. Starknet’s v0.14.0 (Grinta) upgrade, deployed to modernize core infrastructure with decentralized sequencer capabilities and refined fee mechanisms, encountered unexpected downtime. Between 2:23-4:36 AM UTC, gateway failures blocked transaction processing, forcing developers to reorganize the chain from block 1,960,612—effectively erasing an hour of activity. Affected users faced transaction resubmission requirements.

This marked Starknet’s second outage in under two months. A July 18 incident caused 13 minutes of disruption; April 2024 saw a four-hour event triggered by a rounding error. Each incident sparked legitimate community concerns about network stability and operational maturity.

Market sentiment reflected the disruption: STRK dipped over 3% during the outage window. However, confidence has since recovered noticeably. The token now trades at $0.08, down 0.43% over 24 hours—demonstrating stabilization compared to previous panic selling responses. This rebound suggests users view infrastructure improvements as credible and the ecosystem’s recovery trajectory as intact.

Anchorage Digital’s Strategic Venture Into Protocol Development

Beyond custody services, Anchorage Digital revealed ambitious expansion into venture capital, accepting applications for its inaugural protocol investment program. Selected teams will pitch at Token2049 Singapore (October 2025), gaining access to hands-on support spanning product engineering, market-making coordination, and go-to-market strategy development. Protocols subsequently integrating with Anchorage gain immediate access to its institutional client base—a substantial competitive advantage.

This initiative gains credibility from recent regulatory clearance: the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency lifted its consent order against Anchorage Digital, resolving three-year-old compliance concerns regarding anti-money laundering controls and Bank Secrecy Act adherence. The firm reported $29.4 million in fiduciary income during H1 2025, underscoring its role as trusted custodian for institutional-grade products including BlackRock’s spot cryptocurrency ETFs.

Convergence of Institutional Access and Technical Maturation

Starknet’s trajectory reflects a maturing Layer 2 ecosystem attracting institutional participation. STRK staking support through regulated platforms addresses a critical gap: institutions require compliant infrastructure to participate in emerging blockchain economics. The Bitcoin staking integration expands staking optionality while reinforcing Starknet’s cross-chain positioning.

Challenges around network uptime remain addressable through continued infrastructure investment—a path increasingly visible through protocol updates and institutional backing. The combination of Anchorage’s support and community-approved technical enhancements suggests Starknet is building foundations for sustainable, institution-grade operations.