Bithumb Suspends STRK Deposits/Withdrawals for Starknet Mainnet Upgrade
South Korea’s Bithumb will temporarily suspend all Starknet (STRK) deposits and withdrawals starting 3:00 a.m. UTC on April 20. The exchange says the halt supports Starknet’s scheduled mainnet upgrade, aimed at improving network performance, security, and functionality for the Ethereum layer-2 validity/zero-knowledge rollup.
During the maintenance window, STRK trading pairs on Bithumb are expected to remain active, but moving STRK on or off the exchange will be impossible. The exact duration is not specified, and traders are advised to monitor Bithumb’s official announcements for a resumption update.
For STRK traders, the key action is operational: complete any urgent transfers before the April 20 deadline, adjust open orders if they rely on incoming funds, and verify whether any connected DeFi/staking services also pause. The article stresses that self-custody wallets (e.g., Braavos, Argent) typically handle upgrades with less disruption, but users should avoid initiating transactions during the core upgrade window.
Market-wise, this is described as a standard risk-management procedure rather than an exchange security issue. Similar pre-announced holds by major exchanges during network upgrades (e.g., Binance, Coinbase, Kraken) generally limit disruption, with potential short-term liquidity dips on the affected venue being offset by arbitrage across exchanges. Assuming the Starknet upgrade proceeds smoothly, the broader STRK price impact should be limited.
Neutral
This is a venue-level operational maintenance tied to Starknet’s scheduled mainnet upgrade, not an exchange solvency or security incident. Like other major-exchange upgrade holds (e.g., Binance/Coinbase/Kraken during chain or protocol changes), Bithumb is pausing deposits and withdrawals to avoid failed or invalid transactions during consensus/version switching.
Short-term: STRK liquidity at Bithumb may thin and traders may see temporary friction moving funds in/out, which can create localized volatility around the halt window—especially for users who need deposits/withdrawals to execute strategies. However, trading (order-book activity) is expected to continue, and arbitrage across venues should keep the STRK price relatively aligned.
Long-term: the upgrade’s purpose is to improve Starknet network capabilities; if it delivers as expected, the longer-term narrative for STRK can remain constructive. Since the article does not cite any abnormal risk signals at Bithumb, the net effect for traders is best categorized as neutral with a focus on execution planning rather than directional conviction.