Ethereum Layer 2 network Starknet’s community forum has published an article regarding the upgrades and testnet migration to versions V0.12.3 and V0.13.0, which discusses the network’s native token STRK (deployed but not yet in circulation), once again sparking community discussions on token airdrops.
The content of the V0.12.3 upgrade includes deprecating the feeder gateway, transitioning to API services, or running independent full nodes. This version will also introduce some changes to the _validate_ of account contracts.
The V0.13.0 upgrade will include a new transaction type V3, laying the foundation for future features on the Starknet roadmap, including adding STRK as a new transaction fee token outside of Ether (ETH), fee market, Paymaster, and nonce generalization. V0.13.0 will also come equipped with a new Cairo version (v2.4.0), introducing string literals and basic string processing.
The scheduled network upgrade dates are as follows:
November 19, 2023: V0.12.3 Goerli testnet
December 11, 2023: V0.12.3 mainnet (one week earlier than previously announced)
December 5, 2023: V0.13.0 Goerli testnet (may be delayed by one week to December 13, if necessary)
January 22, 2024: V0.13.0 mainnet (pending governance vote)
In addition to the version updates, Starknet will migrate the testnet from Goerli to Sepolia after Goerli is disabled. Support for Goerli will continue until the end of 2023, and migration to the Sepolia testnet will begin on November 15, 2023. At that time, full nodes, API services, SDK, and other Starknet development tools will also start migrating to Sepolia.
This announcement provides a specific date for the launch of the V0.13.0 mainnet, but does not clarify if and when STRK tokens will be distributed to the community. Further details are pending in subsequent announcements from the Starknet Foundation.
Related report: “Ethereum L2 Dynamics: OP Labs Launches ‘Proof of Failure’ on Testnet, StarkWare Delays Initial Token Unlock”