You hold STRK, or are close to holding it, and want to know what it is genuinely for beyond sitting in a wallet. Its uses depend on how Starknet processes transactions and how its staking and governance systems work. This article explains those connections, what holding STRK lets you do, and the constraints that come with putting it to use.
Key Takeaways
- Starknet is an Ethereum Layer 2 that processes transactions off-chain and uses zero-knowledge validity proofs for Ethereum verification.
- STRK pays Starknet transaction fees, supports staking through validators or delegation, and enables voting on eligible governance proposals.
- The available research does not establish Ekubo’s current operation, supported STRK pools, deposit mechanics, or fee mechanics.
- Ekubo liquidity positions carry smart-contract risk, liquidity risk, and impermanent loss, potentially underperforming simply holding the assets.
What Is Starknet?
Starknet is an Ethereum Layer 2, a network that executes transactions outside Ethereum mainnet while relying on Ethereum to verify their validity. It was built to process transactions and smart contracts, programs executed on the network, more efficiently than Ethereum mainnet. It uses zero-knowledge validity proofs, cryptographic evidence that lets Ethereum verify the results of activity processed off-chain.
STRK is Starknet’s native token and required transaction-fee currency, covering computation, data availability, meaning making transaction data accessible, and relevant Ethereum data costs. It also supports staking, committing tokens to support network services and block production, through validators, participants performing the required network duties, and delegators, holders assigning tokens to validators. STRK also provides governance participation, voting on eligible protocol proposals directly or through delegation where permitted, while using it for transactions requires a Starknet-compatible wallet and STRK on the correct network.
Why People Hold STRK
Holding STRK provides a balance for transaction fees when making transfers or interacting with Starknet applications. That balance pays for network activity, but an application may require additional assets.
Staking offers another use: holders can operate a validator or delegate STRK without running the infrastructure themselves. Rewards are newly minted STRK, not a general entitlement to transaction-fee revenue. Direct validation carries operating requirements and possible penalties, while delegation can involve validator commission and protocol withdrawal rules.
STRK also gives holders voting influence over eligible proposals affecting Starknet’s protocol, security and maintenance. That influence depends on the active governance rules and supported token form, rather than an unrestricted right to decide every network change.
4 Ways to Use STRK in 2026
1. Paying Network Fees
Hold STRK on Starknet in a compatible wallet, select a transfer or contract interaction, then review the STRK-denominated fee limits before signing. Paying the fee lets you submit the transaction, covering Starknet computation, data availability, and relevant Ethereum data costs. Your wallet must contain enough STRK and specify valid fee limits, and holding STRK on another network does not supply the balance needed to pay for activity on Starknet.
2. Providing Liquidity on Ekubo
The available research does not establish Ekubo’s current operational status, the availability of STRK pools, or the applicable deposit and fee mechanics. This section therefore cannot provide verified instructions on how to use strk on Ekubo or present liquidity provision there as a confirmed use in 2026. Returns depend on trading activity, while smart-contract risk, liquidity risk, and impermanent loss can leave your position worth less than holding the assets separately.
3. Lending or Borrowing on zkLend
The available research does not establish zkLend’s current operational status or support for STRK lending and borrowing markets in 2026. Consequently, depositing STRK, earning lending interest, or borrowing against it on zkLend cannot be presented here as available uses. This is a verification limitation, not confirmation that the service is operating or that it has discontinued lending; current official documentation and service-status information would be needed before giving deposit or borrowing instructions.
4. Convert Gains Into Dubai Property With StatGlobal
Some holders eventually want part of what they have built sitting in something physical that produces rent. Dubai property is the route people in that position most often look at, and it is the one this site works on directly. StatGlobal is a Dubai-licensed real estate firm (ORN 30485) that advises on the purchase, handles the brokerage, and manages the property afterwards.
The practical point for STRK holders is sequencing. A Dubai property purchase is settled in dirhams through licensed channels, so any conversion happens before the transaction, on your side, through whatever regulated route you already use. What StatGlobal covers is everything from that point on: what the money should buy, what the numbers actually support, and who runs the asset once it is yours.
Turning Digital Gains Into a Real-World Asset
Moving from a purely digital portfolio into property changes the questions you have to answer. Which submarket, on what evidence, at what holding period, and who handles the tenant at 11pm on a Friday. Those are the questions StatGlobal is built around: every recommendation is underwritten against live market data and put in writing with its assumptions and its downside case before it is recommended, and buildings under management run on documented procedures with transparent reporting.
If you are weighing what a Dubai purchase would look like, the useful first step is a conversation with a specialist about the numbers, not a listing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Starknet used for?
Starknet is used to execute transactions and smart contracts more efficiently than Ethereum mainnet. As an Ethereum Layer 2, it processes activity off-chain and submits cryptographic proofs for Ethereum to verify, supporting transfers, swaps, bridges, and other interactions with decentralized applications.
What does Starknet crypto do?
STRK, Starknet’s native token, pays transaction fees and supports staking and governance. Holders can use it to pay for network activity, stake as validators or delegate to participating validators, and vote on protocol proposals directly or through delegation where the governance system permits.
This article is general information about STRK and how people use it. It is not financial, investment, tax, or legal advice, and nothing here is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any digital asset. Digital-asset prices are volatile and you can lose money. Speak to a licensed adviser before acting.
