Prague support is now live on Alpen testnet. Today, Alpen Labs Inc. is releasing Alpen's new Prague-compatible testnet. This milestone moves Alpen closer to its mainnet specifications and gives the Alpen community a more up-to-date, future-facing environment to build, test, and ship their Bitcoin-based applications. By updating Alpen to support Pectra's execution layer specs (Prague), Alpen Labs Inc. make it easier for EVM ecosystem teams to bring financial applications to Bitcoin with minimal changes. Important: On December 22, two weeks from today, Alpen's first Shanghai-compatible public testnet will be sunset and all associated infrastructure will be wound down. To avoid outages, all teams must update config files and migrate any apps from the Shanghai-compatible testnet to the new Prague-compatible testnet. Technical details for the new testnet can be found below. What's in the new Alpen testnet. This network update includes several important changes for node operators and smart contract developers: * Reth update: Alpen Labs Inc. has bumped its Reth version from v1.1.5 | v1.8.2 * Migration to RSP for ZK proofs: Block execution now uses Reth Succinct Processor (RSP) for generating ZK proofs * Pectra activation: The new testnet activates Prague-compatible specs for the EVM execution environment, with two exceptions: * Type 3 transactions are not supported * There is no KZG precompile as defined in EIP-4844 for blob transaction verification Blobs are an Ethereum-specific feature and are not used by Alpen due to its Bitcoin-centric architecture. Learn more at Alpen Design Rationale. Breaking changes and required actions. This update requires a network regenesis, which introduces several changes for developers and infrastructure providers: * All state is reset: accounts, balances, and state from the previous testnet are erased * New chain ID: all wallets must add a new Alpen Testnet network with chain ID 8150 * All smart contracts must be redeployed * Node operators must deploy the latest release * A new bridge_pubkey must be set in the Alpen CLI config files * A new signet challenge must be set in the Bitcoind node configuration file Timeline and migration plan. Alpen Labs Inc. has planned a staged rollout to minimize outage risk and give impacted teams time to deploy on the new testnet before the previous testnet is sunset. * The new Prague-compatible testnet goes live at https://rpc.pectra-testnet.alpenlabs.io with chain ID 8150 * Teams can deploy infrastructure, request testnet tokens, add liquidity, and begin testing * The previous Shanghai-compatible testnet shuts down (sequencer stops, nodes go offline) * Expected downtime for DNS and TLS certificates propagation * All *.testnet.alpenlabs.io endpoints are redirected to point to the new Prague-compatible testnet * Existing endpoint at https://rpc.pectra-testnet.alpenlabs.io remains available as an alias * The endpoint at https://rpc.pectra-testnet.alpenlabs.io is disabled; all activity should move to the canonical *.testnet.alpenlabs.io endpoints How to get started. The following steps outline how to maintain uptime throughout this testnet update: * Review the network specs * You can find all the relevant network parameters, endpoints, and configuration details in the RPC page of its docs * Use these docs to identify any breaking changes and adjustments needed by your application * Update your tooling to the new endpoints * Until December 22: Configure your development tooling to point at rpc.pectra-testnet.alpenlabs.io * After December 22: Configure your development tooling to point at rpc.testnet.alpenlabs.io * Configure your wallets to point at the new chain ID 8150 * Create your accounts and contact Alpen to receive coins on the new testnet (faucet may have limited initial availability) * Redeploy contracts and migrate applications * Deploy your contracts to the Prague testnet * Update your frontends and backends on time for the December 22 switch * Add planned downtime for the application migration on December 22 * Inform your users * Make it clear that accounts and balances on the currently running Alpen testnet will be erased on December 22. All accounts will restart from zero * Users should remove current Alpen testnet from their wallet and add the new one with chain ID 8150 Looking ahead to mainnet. Alpen Labs Inc. is on this journey to mainnet and beyond together! Alpen Labs Inc. request feedback from you along this journey, which will make the experience better for everyone. Please join Discord or Telegram to receive any real-time updates, ask questions, and share your feedback. Alpen is open source! Alpen Labs Inc. welcome contributions across protocol, infra, tooling, and documentation. Get started here.

Starknet, Alpen Labs build Bitcoin DeFi bridge. Key notes. * The Starknet Foundation has awarded a grant to Alpen Labs to accelerate the development of a shared verifier for the broader Bitcoin ecosystem. * Glock technology uses garbled circuits and claims up to a 1000x reduction in on-chain verification costs compared to previous models like BitVM. * The initiative aims to unlock BTCFi use cases, such as native staking and borrowing, without relying on less secure wrapped assets or multisig setups. Starknet is collaborating with Bitcoin BTC $110 904 24h volatility: 0.4% Market cap: $2.21 T Vol. 24h: $77.65 B research firm Alpen Labs to build a highly secure, trust-minimized bridge connecting the two networks. The partnership, confirmed on October 15, aims to unlock advanced decentralized finance (DeFi) capabilities for native Bitcoin holders directly on the Starknet platform. A new security model to protect Bitcoin. This initiative moves away from traditional bridging models that often introduce significant security vulnerabilities. According to details in the project's announcement and technical whitepaper, many existing solutions rely on trusted multisignature setups where signers could collude to steal funds. To avoid this, Glock uses a two-party computation protocol based on garbled circuits. This design allows for complex verification without revealing private inputs from either chain, removing the need for trusted intermediaries. Starknet's Strategy to become a Bitcoin hub. The collaboration is a key part of Starknet's stated commitment to scaling Bitcoin, a plan first detailed in March 2025 as part of its broader "BTCFi on Starknet" initiative. Furthering this goal, the Starknet Foundation awarded a grant to Alpen Labs for the development and audit of a shared Glock verifier, which is intended to be a public good for the wider Bitcoin ecosystem. The push is backed by a 100 million STRK incentives program designed to boost development on the network. Alpen Labs claims its technology is highly efficient, with specific Glock25 variants achieving over 430-550x efficiency versus models like BitVM2. The new bridge will allow users to stake and borrow their Bitcoin without wrapping the asset, and the announcement was met with a positive reaction from the crypto community. This development arrives as the broader Bitcoin market navigates turbulence. The ecosystem recently experienced a heavy drawdown, underscored by market volatility that led to over $19.35 billion in liquidations. Despite these challenges, institutional conviction appears to remain, as exemplified by Strategy Inc.'s ongoing corporate accumulation of 220 BTC. Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, Cryptoworld encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. As a Web3 marketing strategist and former CMO of DuckDAO, Zoran Spirkovski translates complex crypto concepts into compelling narratives that drive growth. With a background in crypto journalism, he excels in developing go-to-market strategies for DeFi, L2, and GameFi projects.