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A Starknet wallet is a smart-contract account, not a conventional Ethereum-style externally owned account. That design enables native account abstraction, flexible recovery and fee payment in ETH or STRK, but it also means account deployment and transactions can incur fees. Privacy tools such as STRK20 can hide activity inside a shielded pool, yet deposits, withdrawals, timing and some application activity remain observable. Recovery also has two separate parts: restoring signing authority and preserving the viewing key needed to find private balances.
This FAQ explains the practical differences among wallet options, what you can recover after losing a device, how Ledger and MetaMask integrations work, and what privacy does—and does not—change for compliance.
What a Starknet wallet actually is
Starknet accounts are contracts controlled through account abstraction. Common account implementations include OpenZeppelin, ArgentX and Braavos accounts. Unlike an Ethereum externally owned account, a Starknet account contract contains the validation logic that decides whether a transaction is authorized. The result is a wallet that can support features such as Guardians, multiple owners, alternative signers and programmable recovery.
The account model creates an important first-use difference: deploying the account is itself an on-chain operation. The account has a precomputed address, and deployment is normally funded at that address. A user therefore needs enough funds for the deployment fee before the account can be created; a “free” wallet download does not mean the first on-chain action is free.
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How much do Starknet wallet transactions cost?
There is no single reliable Starknet wallet fee to quote for every transfer. The amount depends on the transaction’s execution, the account contract, network conditions and the fee token selected. Starknet’s documented transaction-v3 model allows network fees to be paid in either ETH or STRK. The wallet or application should show the estimate and required balance before signing.
What determines the amount
- Execution work: A simple transfer generally requires less computation than deploying an account, invoking several contracts or completing a privacy operation.
- Network conditions: Congestion and current resource pricing can change the fee between two otherwise similar transactions.
- Account deployment: The first deployment is a separate fee-bearing transaction and is normally funded at the account’s precomputed address.
- Wallet or platform charges: Argent’s terms say a third-party crypto-platform transaction may include an “Argent Fee.” The wallet displays whether it applies and its amount before confirmation; it is distinct from the Starknet network fee.
Which token should pay the fee?
Under transaction-v3, users can use ETH or STRK where the selected wallet and network support that fee-token configuration. Confirm the token shown in the signing screen rather than assuming that holding one asset automatically covers every transaction. Keep a small reserve of the fee token in the account you will actually use; funds in another account or on another network cannot pay the transaction.
How to check a fee before sending
- Open the target dapp or wallet action and select the correct Starknet network.
- Review the wallet’s estimated network fee, fee token and any separately disclosed wallet or platform charge.
- Check that the account has enough of the displayed token for both the operation and a possible account deployment.
- Reject the request if the token, recipient, network or fee differs from what you intended. A hardware signer confirms the transaction you present; it does not correct a wrong network or contract call.
Because reviewed documentation does not publish one stable amount for all wallets and transaction types, treat any fixed “average Starknet fee” as a snapshot rather than a universal price.
Can a lost phone or password be recovered?
Recovery depends on the wallet’s account type and the security controls you enabled. A seed phrase may restore a standard signer, while Guardians, a hardware signer or multiple owners can change the procedure. Losing a phone is not automatically the same as losing the account: if you still control the recovery material, you can usually restore access on another device. If the recovery material is gone, no wallet can reconstruct it from your address alone.
Seed-phrase recovery
For a standard seed signer, Braavos documents importing the seed phrase into a new installation. Argent’s terms likewise require users to protect the seed phrase that may be needed after device loss or password loss. Store the phrase offline, never enter it into a website or send it to support, and verify the wallet application before importing it. A phrase entered into a malicious app should be treated as compromised and the remaining funds moved to a newly created account.
Guardians and social recovery
Argent documents Guardians and social recovery. Guardians are designated accounts or people that can participate in restoring control under the wallet’s recovery rules, reducing reliance on a single device. The exact approval threshold, waiting period and replacement process are wallet-specific, so read the recovery screen before you need it and ensure Guardians can still be contacted.
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Hardware-signer recovery
If hardware signing is enabled, Braavos documents a recovery path that removes the hardware signer with a four-day delay. That interval applies to the documented Braavos flow; it should not be generalized to every Starknet wallet or hardware model. During setup, record which signer is active and where the recovery transaction will be displayed so an unexpected removal request can be canceled or challenged.
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Multi-owner accounts
A multi-owner account can recover through proposals and approvals from the remaining owners, according to Braavos documentation. This is useful for a team or family vault but introduces coordination requirements: losing enough owners to fall below the approval threshold can make the account unusable. Keep an offline record of the owners, threshold and proposal process.
What is the difference between a signing key and a viewing key?
Privacy-enabled balances introduce a second recovery obligation. STRK20 uses a viewing key to discover and decrypt shielded balances. The viewing key can read private state but cannot authorize spending; an account signature is still required to move funds.
Back up the viewing key separately from the seed phrase or hardware signer. Restoring the normal signing key without the viewing key may restore ordinary account access while leaving shielded balances undiscoverable in the wallet. Conversely, possessing a viewing key does not give someone the ability to transfer those balances. Treat it as sensitive financial information because it can reveal transaction history even though it cannot spend.
Recommended backup sequence
- Write the account’s seed phrase or record the wallet’s approved hardware or Guardian recovery method offline.
- Export the STRK20 viewing key using the wallet’s documented backup function, if available.
- Store the two backups in separate secure locations so one incident does not expose both signing and viewing authority.
- Perform a small restoration test before depositing a large private balance. Confirm that ordinary assets, shielded notes and the viewing key all appear as expected.
Does Starknet support Ledger and other hardware wallets?
Ledger support is integration-specific rather than a property of every Starknet dapp. A Starknet wallet compatibility FAQ lists Ledger hardware-wallet workflows through compatible wallets such as Argent, Braavos or Ready. The target wallet must support the exact Ledger model, firmware, Starknet account type and network you plan to use.
Before moving funds, verify all four parts of the path: the wallet version, the dapp’s connector, the Starknet network (for example, the intended production or test environment) and the signer shown on the confirmation screen. A Ledger can protect the private key while an incompatible dapp still fails to construct a valid Starknet account transaction.
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Can MetaMask be used with Starknet?
MetaMask does not natively turn an Ethereum account into a Starknet account. Starknet’s setup guide explains that MetaMask can interact through a Starknet Snap, which provides the Starknet-specific account and signing interface. Support therefore depends on the Snap version, the dapp’s connector and the account implementation behind it.
Do not paste an Ethereum seed phrase into an unrelated Starknet wallet merely because both wallets use similar words such as “account” or “network.” Confirm that the dapp identifies a Starknet account and that the signing request is being handled by the intended Snap or compatible wallet.
How private are Starknet wallet transactions?
Standard Starknet activity is public on-chain activity. STRK20 adds selective privacy for supported assets through shielded balances, private transfers and private DeFi flows. Within the privacy pool, the sender, receiver, amount, token type and spent notes can be hidden from ordinary chain observers.
What remains visible
| Activity | What an observer can generally see | Privacy implication |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit into STRK20 | The public ERC-20 leg and its timing | The link between a public account and a pool entry may provide context. |
| Transfer inside the pool | Shielded note activity rather than the clear sender, receiver and amount | Pool membership and timing can still be analyzed. |
| Withdrawal from STRK20 | The public ERC-20 leg and its timing | A withdrawal can connect private activity to a visible destination. |
| External dapp interaction | Calls, timestamps and whatever the external application logs | Application metadata can reduce practical anonymity even when an asset is shielded. |
Privacy is therefore selective, not a promise that every transfer is invisible. Deposits and withdrawals remain public legs, and timing, pool interaction patterns or activity in an external application can reveal context.
Wallet capability differences
The STRK20 wallet API handles note discovery, proof generation and transaction submission, but available actions vary by wallet. A dapp should detect the wallet’s capabilities rather than assume that every connector supports deposits, private transfers, withdrawals and private DeFi calls. If a button is missing, the limitation may be the current wallet integration rather than the underlying Starknet network.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can regulators or compliance teams see private transfers?
Privacy does not remove legal duties or make funds exempt from screening. STRK20 registration can store an encrypted copy of a user’s viewing key for an authorized auditor. Under lawful process, that mechanism can decrypt the relevant user’s history while leaving unrelated users’ data private. The viewing key grants read access, not spending authority.
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Starknet launch material describes a compliance and auditing path alongside shielded balances and private transfers. In practice, screening rules, disclosure scope, record retention and reporting obligations depend on the integrating wallet or application and the user’s jurisdiction. A service may require identity checks or block addresses before allowing a deposit, even if the subsequent pool transfer is shielded.
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| Decision area | What to verify | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Fee handling | Whether ETH and STRK fee payment are supported, how estimates are shown and whether a separate wallet fee is disclosed | Prevents failed transactions and surprises at confirmation. |
| Recovery | Seed phrase, Guardians, hardware-signer delay or multi-owner threshold | Determines whether a lost phone can be recovered and how long replacement takes. |
| Dapp compatibility | Account implementation, connector, network and wallet version | Starknet accounts are contracts, so an Ethereum-only connector may not work. |
| Hardware signing | Exact Ledger model, firmware and supported wallet integration | Hardware protection is useful only when the complete signing path is compatible. |
| Viewing-key backup | Whether the wallet can export and restore the STRK20 viewing key | Without it, shielded balances may not be discoverable after reinstalling. |
| Privacy and compliance | Public deposit and withdrawal behavior, screening and auditor-disclosure controls | Helps set realistic confidentiality expectations and meet local obligations. |
Common failure cases and fixes
“The wallet says I have no private balance after restoring.”
Check whether the STRK20 viewing key was restored. A seed phrase or hardware signer restores spending authority but does not automatically recreate the viewing key. Import the backed-up viewing key through the wallet’s privacy settings, then allow note discovery to complete.
“My transaction is rejected for insufficient fee funds.”
Read the fee token in the rejection or signing window. Add ETH or STRK to the same Starknet account and network shown there. If the account has never been deployed, fund the precomputed address sufficiently for deployment and the intended call.
“The dapp cannot connect to my Ledger or MetaMask.”
Confirm that the dapp supports your connector, that the Starknet Snap or Ledger integration is enabled, and that the wallet is on the requested network. Update only from the wallet’s official distribution channel, reconnect the account and check that the displayed account address matches the one you intend to use.
“A private transfer still seems traceable.”
Review the public deposit and withdrawal transactions, their timing and any external dapp calls. STRK20 hides specified fields inside the pool; it does not erase the public edges or metadata surrounding that activity.
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Practical setup checklist
- Choose a Starknet-compatible wallet and confirm the account type required by your dapps.
- Record the seed phrase, Guardian or multi-owner recovery rules before funding the account.
- Keep ETH or STRK available for deployment and transaction fees, based on the token shown by the wallet.
- If using a Ledger, verify the exact model and wallet integration before transferring assets.
- If using MetaMask, install and verify the Starknet Snap and confirm the dapp’s connector.
- Export and securely back up the STRK20 viewing key separately from signing credentials.
- Read the wallet’s screening, fee and auditor-disclosure notices for your jurisdiction.
- Test recovery and a small deposit or withdrawal before committing a large balance.
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