Starknet opens vote on researching a move to an independent layer 1, closing Oct. 22

Starknet, a layer-2 (L2) network that runs on top of Ethereum, opened a vote asking STRK holders whether it should research becoming an independent layer-1 (L1) blockchain. According to the Starknet governance forum and the Snapshot voting page, the poll opened at 6:32 p.m. KST on Oct. 15 and closes at the same time on Oct. 22. The result is non-binding: a "Yes" outcome would only signal support for further research, not approval of a transition.

Starknet cited preparation for quantum computers as the reason. As concern grows that quantum machines could break today's digital signature schemes, the parts of Starknet that rely on Ethereum are tied to Ethereum's own timeline for responding, the proposal said.

From an Oct. 8 question to an Oct. 15 vote

The proposal had been flagged a week earlier. Eli Ben-Sasson, chief executive of developer StarkWare, asked on X on Oct. 8: "Starknet becoming an L1 for post-quantum agility: good idea or bad idea?" Two days later, StarkWare's official account said "Starknet becoming an independent L1 is our clearest path forward," making clear which way the company leaned.

Voters can choose "Yes, this should be researched," "No, this shouldn't be researched," or "Neutral, I need more information." As of 8:30 p.m. KST on Oct. 15, 144 voters had taken part. By voting power, "Yes" had 127.28 million STRK and "No" had 155,000 STRK, putting support at 99.9%. The tally reflects only the first day and could change before the vote closes.

STRK stays the token, Ethereum bridges stay open

The proposal separated what is fixed from what remains open. Whatever path is taken, STRK remains the token and no new token will be created. Bridges that move assets from Ethereum to Starknet will stay open. No timeline for becoming an L1 exists yet.

The next step depends on the result. If "Yes" prevails, a research effort will begin, leading to more detailed proposals and further polls. If "No" wins, post-quantum work continues with Starknet as an L2. If "Neutral" comes out on top, the discussion thread stays open until the missing answers are in. Any decision to proceed with a transition would require a dedicated governance process, the proposal said.

Ethereum-dependent pieces remain the open issue

StarkWare says the parts of Starknet under the network's own control can soon be quantum-resistant. STARK proofs, which verify that batches of transactions are valid, are hash-based and safe from quantum computers, the company said. Native account abstraction, under which every wallet account works like a smart contract, lets users adopt post-quantum signatures without a protocol upgrade.

The problem lies in the bridge and data availability (DA). Data availability means storing transaction data so anyone can download and verify it, and Starknet currently relies on Ethereum for both. The proposal said those parts are tied to Ethereum's timeline and that becoming an independent L1 would remove that dependency.

On a separate "Quantum Hub" website, StarkWare compared 10 networks using eight questions based on cryptographic agility guidance from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). In the company's own assessment, Starknet met all eight, Bitcoin seven, Ethereum three and Solana two.

STRK at 105 won on Bithumb after doubling in a week, then pulling back

STRK is not listed on Upbit and trades on Bithumb's Korean won market. At 8:30 p.m. KST on Oct. 15, STRK traded at 105 won on Bithumb, with 24-hour trading value of about 7 billion won. Binance quoted it at $0.0775 at the same time, or about 103.7 won. The kimchi premium (the gap between prices on Korean exchanges and global markets) was about 1.2% on Bithumb.

The price swung sharply after the L1 idea surfaced. On Binance daily candles (UTC), STRK closed at $0.0491 on Oct. 7, then hit an intraday high of $0.1265 on Oct. 11, about 2.6 times higher. It fell 31% on Oct. 12 alone and has since traded between $0.07 and $0.08. The funding rate on Binance perpetual futures was -0.0016% at the same time, close to zero.