StarkGate Bridge — FAQ

StarkGate is the official crypto bridge that lets you transfer digital assets between Ethereum and Starknet — a fast, low-cost Layer 2 network built on cutting-edge STARK cryptography. The StarkGate app brings together multiple bridging technologies into one unified experience.

The StarkGate bridge includes:

• The canonical Ethereum ↔ Starknet bridge for ETH and ERC-20 tokens
• Hyperlane integration for cross-chain bridging (including Solana ↔ Starknet)
• LayerZero OFT bridge for natively multi-chain tokens like WBTC and SolvBTC
• Circle's CCTP for native USDC bridging via burn-and-mint

By consolidating these technologies, StarkGate makes it simple for anyone to move value across chains and start exploring the Starknet ecosystem.

Getting started with StarkGate is straightforward:

1. Visit the StarkGate bridge app.
2. Select your source network (e.g. Ethereum) and destination network (e.g. Starknet).
3. Choose the token you want to bridge and enter the amount.
4. Connect your wallet(s) for the relevant chains.
5. Review the fees and estimated arrival time, then confirm and sign the transaction in your wallet.

On mobile, you only need to connect the origin-chain wallet. You'll be prompted to manually paste your destination wallet address into the interface.

StarkGate supports a growing list of tokens across multiple blockchains. You can always see the current list directly in the app interface.

From Ethereum: ETH, STRK, USDC, WBTC, SolvBTC, USDT, DAI, wstETH, and many more ERC-20 tokens.

From Solana (via Hyperlane): SOL, JUP, TRUMP, Fartcoin, Bonk, dreams, PUMP.

Native USDC (via CCTP): Bridge USDC natively between Starknet and other CCTP-supported networks without wrapping.

If you'd like to request a specific token, you can contact the StarkGate support team — we regularly add new assets based on community demand.

Transfer times on StarkGate depend on the direction and bridge type:

• Ethereum → Starknet (deposit): ~5 minutes
• Starknet → Ethereum (withdrawal): up to 8 hours — due to STARK proof generation and settlement on Ethereum L1. You can choose Automatic Withdrawal to have this finalized for you, or Manual Withdrawal where you complete the second step yourself in the Activity tab.
• Solana ↔ Starknet (Hyperlane): up to ~1 minute
• OFT tokens via LayerZero (WBTC, SolvBTC): up to ~2 minutes
• Native USDC via CCTP Standard: ~15–19 minutes (Ethereum); ~6 hours (Starknet withdrawals)
• Native USDC via CCTP Fast Transfer: seconds

You pay gas fees on both the origin and destination chains. All fees in the StarkGate app are shown before you confirm and are charged on top of your transfer amount — the fee is not taken from your bridged funds.

• Depositing to Starknet: Pay Ethereum L1 gas in ETH.
• Withdrawing from Starknet: Pay Starknet gas (in ETH or STRK via paymaster if your wallet supports it), plus an Ethereum L1 gas fee when finalizing the withdrawal.
• CCTP Fast Transfer: An additional service fee from Circle applies on top of standard gas costs.

Real-time fee estimates are shown in the StarkGate app before every transaction. The exact cost depends on network conditions at the time of your transfer.

When withdrawing from Starknet to Ethereum, the process requires two steps:

1. Initiate the withdrawal on Starknet.
2. Once the STARK proof is verified on Ethereum, finalize the withdrawal on L1.

Automatic Withdrawal (AW) — a service by SpaceShard — handles step 2 automatically on your behalf. Just enable the toggle when initiating your withdrawal. Funds can only go to your original Ethereum address.

Manual Withdrawal — you return to the StarkGate Activity tab after the proof is verified and click "Complete Withdrawal" to submit the final Ethereum transaction yourself. There is no time limit for this step.

StarkGate supports multiple wallets depending on the chains involved. When you click "Connect Wallet", you'll see the options available for your selected route.

Popular supported wallets include:

• Ethereum / EVM: MetaMask, OKX Wallet, and others
• Starknet: Ready, Braavos, Argent X, and other Starknet-compatible wallets
• Solana: Phantom, Solflare, and other Solana wallets

Wallet support may differ between desktop and mobile. If you're having trouble connecting, make sure your wallet extension is updated and try refreshing the page or clearing your browser cache.

Long pending times can be caused by:

• Network congestion on Ethereum or Starknet
• Insufficient gas fees
• Delays in STARK proof generation
• A manual withdrawal step that requires your action

Steps to troubleshoot:

1. Check the Activity tab in StarkGate — it shows live transaction status and any required actions.
2. Click the "+" icon next to your transaction for full details.
3. Use the Explorer button (Voyager, Etherscan, Solscan) to see on-chain status.
4. Check the Starknet status page for any known network issues.

If the issue persists, reach out to StarkGate support.

If the StarkGate Activity tab shows your transaction as completed, your funds are on-chain. The most common reason you can't see them is that your wallet doesn't recognize the token yet.

Solution: Add the token manually to your wallet using the token's contract address. You can find the correct contract address in the StarkGate Activity tab or on a block explorer like Voyager (Starknet) or Etherscan (Ethereum).

Also double-check that you are viewing the correct network in your wallet (e.g. Starknet Mainnet, not a testnet).

Yes. Security is a top priority for StarkGate. Key measures include:

• STARK cryptography: All transactions are verified with mathematically proven STARK proofs, providing Ethereum-grade security.
• Security audits: All underlying bridge systems (the canonical ETH bridge, Hyperlane, LayerZero, and Circle's CCTP) have undergone formal audits by reputable third-party security firms.
• Withdrawal limits: Protective caps on withdrawals can be activated for specific tokens if suspicious activity is detected, minimizing potential impact without disrupting normal use.
• Bug bounty: A public Starknet bug bounty program rewards responsible disclosure of security issues.

Always make sure you are using the official StarkGate app at the correct URL and never share your seed phrase with anyone.

Yes! For the canonical Ethereum ↔ Starknet bridge, any ERC-20 token can be enrolled permissionlessly via the StarkGate Registry contract on Ethereum.

1. Go to the Registry contract on Etherscan.
2. Connect your wallet and call the enrollTokenBridge function with your ERC-20 token's contract address.
3. This deploys a corresponding token contract on Starknet and establishes the bridge.

Note: Adding the token to the StarkGate UI requires separate coordination with the team. Visit the Starknet docs for full details.

The StarkGate canonical bridge uses a lock-and-mint / burn-and-release model with cryptographic proof verification:

• Depositing (Ethereum → Starknet): Your tokens are locked in a smart contract on Ethereum L1. Starknet detects this event and mints the equivalent wrapped tokens to your Starknet wallet. This is fast (~5 minutes).
• Withdrawing (Starknet → Ethereum): Your wrapped tokens are burned on Starknet. A STARK validity proof of all Starknet transactions (including your burn) is generated and submitted to Ethereum for verification. Once verified, you can claim your original tokens on Ethereum L1.

This model ensures that at no point are tokens "double-spent" — the supply is always conserved and cryptographically verifiable.

Circle's Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) is a native USDC bridging standard. Instead of wrapping USDC, it burns the token on the source chain and mints a new native USDC on the destination chain — keeping supply consistent and eliminating wrapper risk.

In StarkGate, CCTP lets you bridge native USDC between Starknet and other supported networks like Ethereum through the familiar StarkGate interface.

Standard Transfer waits for full finality on the source chain (~15–19 min for Ethereum, ~6 hours for Starknet withdrawals). No extra fees beyond gas.

Fast Transfer (CCTP V2) settles almost instantly by using Circle's Fast Transfer Allowance to front the funds while awaiting finality. An additional Circle service fee applies.

You can explore StarkGate in depth through several resources:

• Official Starknet Docs — StarkGate Guide: Comprehensive technical and user documentation covering how the bridge works, supported tokens, and architecture.
• About StarkGate: Learn about the mission, team, and technology behind the bridge.
• StarkGate App: Start bridging directly — the interface provides real-time information on supported tokens, fees, and transfer status.

If you have a question that isn't answered here, the StarkGate support team is always available to help.