StarkNet, Theta Network, and Optimism: The Crypto Projects to Watch in March

The crypto market is constantly evolving and innovating, with new projects and developments emerging every day. Some of these projects have the potential to disrupt the status quo and create new opportunities for investors, developers, and users. In this article, we will highlight three of the most promising crypto projects to watch in March 2021: StarkNet, Theta Network, and Optimism.

StarkNet: Scaling Ethereum with Zero-Knowledge Proofs

StarkNet is a decentralized, scalable, and secure layer-2 solution for Ethereum, powered by zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs). ZKPs are a cryptographic technique that allows one party to prove to another that a statement is true, without revealing any information beyond the validity of the statement. This enables StarkNet to process thousands of transactions per second, while maintaining the security and decentralization of Ethereum.

StarkNet is developed by StarkWare, a leading company in the field of ZKPs. StarkWare has already launched several products based on ZKPs, such as StarkEx, a scalability engine for decentralized exchanges, and Cairo, a general-purpose ZKP-friendly programming language. StarkNet aims to be the ultimate platform for building scalable and privacy-preserving applications on Ethereum.

StarkNet is expected to launch its alpha version in March 2021, which will allow developers to deploy and test their smart contracts on a public testnet. The alpha version will also support interoperability with Ethereum, enabling users to transfer funds between the two networks. StarkNet plans to launch its beta version in Q2 2021, which will introduce more features and improvements.

Theta Network: Decentralizing Video Streaming with Blockchain

Theta Network is a blockchain-based platform that aims to revolutionize the video streaming industry. Theta Network leverages the power of distributed computing and incentivized sharing to create a more efficient, resilient, and fair system for delivering and consuming video content.

Theta Network consists of two native tokens: Theta and Theta Fuel. Theta is the governance token of the network, which allows holders to stake and secure the network, as well as vote on protocol upgrades. Theta Fuel is the utility token of the network, which is used to pay for transactions and smart contract execution, as well as reward users for sharing their bandwidth and resources.

Theta Network has partnered with some of the leading players in the video streaming space, such as Samsung, Sony, Google, Binance, and NASA. Theta Network also hosts its own video platform, Theta.tv, which features content from popular esports, gaming, and entertainment creators. Theta Network claims to have over 3 million active users and 20,000 active nodes.

Theta Network is set to launch its mainnet 3.0 in March 2021, which will introduce several enhancements and innovations to the network. One of the main features of the mainnet 3.0 is the introduction of Theta Edge Compute, which will enable users to run edge computing tasks on the network, such as AI, machine learning, and data analysis. Another feature is the introduction of TFUEL burning, which will reduce the supply of Theta Fuel by burning a percentage of each transaction fee.

Optimism: Bringing Optimistic Rollups to Ethereum

Optimism is another layer-2 solution for Ethereum, based on a technique called optimistic rollups. Optimistic rollups are a way of aggregating multiple transactions into a single batch, and submitting them to the Ethereum mainnet as a single transaction. This reduces the congestion and cost of the network, while preserving the security and compatibility of Ethereum.

Optimism uses a technique called optimistic virtual machine (OVM), which is a fully compatible replica of the Ethereum virtual machine (EVM). This means that any smart contract or application that runs on Ethereum can run on Optimism without any modification. Optimism also uses a technique called fraud proofs, which allows anyone to challenge the validity of a batch of transactions, and revert them if they are proven to be fraudulent.

Optimism is one of the most anticipated layer-2 solutions for Ethereum, as it promises to significantly improve the scalability, performance, and user experience of the network. Optimism has already attracted the attention and support of some of the most prominent projects and platforms in the Ethereum ecosystem, such as Uniswap, Synthetix, Chainlink, and MakerDAO.

Optimism is expected to launch its public mainnet in March 2021, which will mark the beginning of a new era for Ethereum. Optimism will allow users to enjoy faster, cheaper, and smoother transactions, while maintaining the security and decentralization of Ethereum.