Nostra

Nostra is a non-custodial DeFi super app built on StarkNet that consolidates lending, borrowing, token swapping, cross-chain bridging, and a native over-collateralized stablecoin into a single interface. Rather than requiring users to navigate multiple protocols with varying security standards and interfaces, Nostra aims to serve as an all-in-one crypto management layer on StarkNet, positioned as the network's leading DeFi protocol by total value locked during its peak period.

How It Works

Nostra's core product, Nostra Lend, is a permissionless, non-custodial money market protocol modeled on the design principles of Compound, Aave, and Euler Finance, with StarkNet-specific enhancements added on top. Lenders deposit supported crypto assets into liquidity pools and earn variable interest from borrowers. Borrowers pledge their deposited assets as collateral to access loans, with the protocol enforcing over-collateralization requirements to maintain solvency.

A notable architectural feature is that each user can hold up to 255 separate sub-accounts within the protocol, enabling granular asset segregation across different strategies or risk profiles. Users can also designate specific deposit positions as protected collateral that cannot be borrowed against by the protocol, reducing liquidity risks for those positions.

Nostra issues four distinct types of ERC-20 token positions representing different states of a user's deposit — a design approach the team calls "DeFi legos" because these tokenized positions can be used as inputs in other on-chain protocols for composability. The protocol also supports flash loans for advanced users and developers.

Key Products

Nostra Lend and Borrow: The flagship money market, supporting a range of crypto assets including ETH, USDC, and DAI. Deposits earn passive yield; borrowers use collateralized positions to access liquidity.

UNO Stablecoin: Nostra launched UNO as the first native over-collateralized stablecoin on StarkNet, pegged 1:1 to the US dollar. UNO is minted by users locking collateral in the Nostra protocol and is redeemable for its underlying collateral.

Nostra Swap: An on-chain DEX with orderbook trading functionality built into the same application.

Nostra Bridge: A cross-chain bridging product, currently in beta, allowing users to move assets between StarkNet and other networks from within the Nostra interface.

Nostra EVM: A product in development that would extend Nostra's reach to EVM-compatible chains.

Tokens and Assets

Nostra's native governance token is NSTR, which launched in early 2025 with 100 million tokens in total supply. The token was distributed with a "100% unlocked" model — no vesting schedules — described by the team as the "fairest launch" approach. NSTR holders participate in the Nostra DAO and have direct voting rights over protocol decisions. The NSTR token is deployed on Ethereum (contract: 0x610dbd98a28ebba525e9926b6aaf88f9159edbfd).

NSTR reached an all-time high of approximately $0.2247 in June 2024. As of mid-2026, the token trades well below that level with a market capitalization under $1 million, reflecting broadly reduced DeFi activity on StarkNet relative to peak periods.

Security and Audits

Nostra's smart contracts have been independently audited by Trail of Bits, a security firm with an extensive history auditing major DeFi protocols. The protocol also maintains an ongoing bug bounty program. In 2024 the protocol experienced an oracle-related incident; the team subsequently implemented improvements including redundant oracle systems and circuit breakers.

Team and Background

Nostra was founded in mid-2022. The project has received investment from Lemniscap and Nym Technologies SA, both active in early-stage DeFi and blockchain infrastructure. The team has not emphasized individual founder public profiles, operating under the Nostra brand collectively.

The protocol grew rapidly through a points-based incentive program in which users earned points for lending, borrowing, and providing liquidity. A referral mechanism — rewarding users with 10% of their referees' accumulated points — accelerated community growth to over 250,000 users and 89,000 Discord members during the protocol's expansion phase.

At peak, Nostra held approximately $211 million in TVL, representing around 68% of the total value locked across all of StarkNet, making it the dominant lending protocol on the network. TVL has since declined with broader market cycles and StarkNet activity levels.

Ecosystem Context

Nostra is a StarkNet-native protocol and does not operate on Solana. It sits within the StarkNet DeFi ecosystem and interoperates with StarkNet wallets, assets, and infrastructure. Its bridging product connects StarkNet to other networks, and its ERC-20 position tokens are compatible with other StarkNet-based DeFi applications. The protocol's emphasis on composability — tokenized positions usable across on-chain applications — reflects StarkNet's account abstraction model and the broader push toward programmable DeFi primitives.