STRK Goes Multichain as Solana Embraces NEAR’s Cross-Chain Infrastructure

The crypto market witnesses a rare twist this week as Solana shifts from open mockery to technical integration in less than 24 hours.

On January 14, the official Solana account taunted Starknet over its usage metrics and valuation, triggering heated discussions across the community. What began as a dig quickly became one of the most unexpected turnarounds of the year.

Instead of prolonged rivalry, Solana followed up with a surprising move the next day. By January 15, Starknet’s native token STRK went live on the Solana blockchain, activated through the NEAR Protocol solver system. This sudden pivot not only caught the ecosystem off guard but also highlighted the rapid evolution of cross-chain infrastructure in Web3.

The confirmation came from NEAR Protocol in an update shared on X:

Shortly after, Solana also published its integration announcement:

Integration Via NEAR Intents Unlocks Multichain Access

The integration is powered by NEAR Intents, a cross-chain execution layer developed to simplify liquidity routing and asset usability across ecosystems. Instead of traditional bridging, NEAR Intents uses an automated solver network to execute swaps, manage signatures, and deliver transactions across chains without requiring users to leave their native environment.

This development establishes a first-of-its-kind connection between Starknet Solana, allowing STRK to be handled natively inside the Solana ecosystem. According to NEAR Protocol, the system relies on Chain Signatures, a cryptographic mechanism enabling assets to become natively multichain rather than bridged representations.

The result: Starknet’s STRK can now interact seamlessly with Solana-based liquidity pools, wallets, and applications. This marks a foundational shift in how chains communicate, especially since STRK was previously isolated to its own STARK-based environment.

Unified Liquidity And 1-Click Swaps Go Live

One of the major breakthroughs introduced through NEAR Intents is the ability for users to perform 1-click swaps between STRK and more than 125 assets on Solana. This includes direct deposit and withdrawal support, allowing users to send STRK onto Solana and interact with the network without relying on old-style manual bridging steps.

Inside the NEAR Intents App, users can now:

•  Swap STRK SOL
•  Swap STRK 125+ Solana-based assets
•  Deposit STRK directly into Solana wallets
•  Withdraw STRK back to Starknet
•  Access unified liquidity routed automatically by the solver network

In practical terms, this transforms STRK into a multichain-capable asset, giving it the usability of a Solana token while preserving its Starknet identity. For traders, this eliminates the friction of moving through centralized exchanges or third-party bridges.

NEAR Intents Positions Assets As Natively Multichain

The key differentiator in NEAR’s infrastructure is that it does not simply “bridge” assets. Instead, NEAR’s Chain Signatures make assets controllable across multiple blockchains simultaneously. This means STRK is not wrapped but authentically represented on Solana, maintaining a one-to-one relationship with its root state on Starknet.

NEAR Intents effectively introduces:

•  Solver-based automated routing
•  Cross-chain liquidity aggregation
•  Native asset signatures across ecosystems
•  Reduced failure rates and user-side complexity

With this model, the user no longer needs to manage chain switching, gas fees on different networks, or complicated bridging confirmations. NEAR’s system handles the execution logic automatically, making it function more like a decentralized clearing layer for cross-chain activity.

This architecture is a notable step toward the long-anticipated future where crypto assets move freely across multiple ecosystems without separate representations or wrapping mechanisms.

Solana Accelerates Non-Native Listings After STRK Launch

The STRK integration is not happening in isolation. In the last 24 hours, Solana has rapidly listed four non-native assets:

•  Football Fun (FUN)
•  Lighter (LIT)
•  StarkNet (STRK)
•  Zora (ZORA)

This follows Solana’s earlier addition of several non-native Layer 1 assets such as MON and ZEC, signaling a wider strategy to absorb liquidity from external networks.

These rapid listings align with the broader push to position Solana as a high-speed trading ecosystem capable of functioning as an on-chain CEX alternative. The recent growth of Prop AMMs, solver systems, and advanced routing infrastructure further supports this direction, pulling more liquidity and users into the Solana environment.

With more assets gaining access to Solana’s high throughput and low fees, the network is increasingly seen as a central execution layer for cross-chain trading activity. The STRK integration via NEAR adds to this momentum, demonstrating how fast Solana can absorb and operationalize external tokens.

A Turning Point In Cross-Chain Collaboration

The speed at which Solana shifted from mockery to integration is an unusual moment in crypto history. What started as a competitive jab ended with a move that strengthens both ecosystems.

Starknet gains exposure to Solana’s massive liquidity and user base.

Solana gains another high-value asset to deepen its expanding market offerings.

NEAR positions itself as the neutral backbone connecting chains in real time.

This event highlights a new trend in Web3:

• interoperability is becoming more important than rivalry.

The ability to convert criticism into collaboration within 24 hours demonstrates how rapidly blockchain ecosystems are evolving. Instead of fragmented networks operating in silos, the future now appears to be shifting toward unified liquidity layers and cross-chain automation driven by solver networks.

As competition continues to intensify across the industry, the chains that embrace openness and integration may be the ones that define the next phase of crypto adoption.

Disclosure: This is not trading or investment advice. Always do your research before buying any cryptocurrency or investing in any services.

Follow us on Twitter @nulltxnews to stay updated with the latest Crypto, NFT, AI, Cybersecurity, Distributed Computing, and Metaverse news!