Starknet poll backs research into independent post-quantum L1 with 93.5% support

A proposal to research turning Ethereum layer-2 (L2) network Starknet (STRK) into an independent layer-1 (L1) blockchain designed to withstand attacks from quantum computers won 93.52% of voting power. Most holders who took part in the Snapshot poll, which opened on Oct. 15 and closed at 6:32 p.m. KST on Oct. 22, chose "Yes, this should be researched." The poll did not decide the transition itself, and Starknet would need to go through a separate governance process to actually become an L1.

A vote for research, not approval of a switch

According to the Snapshot tally, 457.61 million STRK of voting power backed the proposal, while 22.38 million STRK (4.57%) voted "No, this shouldn't be researched" and 9.33 million STRK (1.91%) chose "Neutral, I need more information." The proposal stated that a Yes vote indicates support for further research and does not constitute approval of a transition to an L1. Developer StarkWare did not vote and left the decision to the community, according to The Block.

A post on the Starknet community forum set out the next steps for each outcome in advance. A Yes result would start a research effort leading to more detailed proposals and polls, a No result would mean post-quantum work continues as an L2, and a Neutral result would keep the discussion thread open. Whatever the path, STRK remains the token with no new token, and bridges from Ethereum to Starknet will stay open, the post said.

Bridges and data: the two parts tied to Ethereum

Starknet's stated reason is security. The network runs on hash-based STARK proofs, and native account abstraction lets user accounts adopt post-quantum signatures without a protocol upgrade. But the bridge to Ethereum and data availability (publishing transaction data so anyone can verify it) are tied to Ethereum's timeline.

The post-quantum roadmap StarkWare released on June 30 follows the same split. Phases 1 and 2 are work Starknet can do on its own, while Phase 3, removing the signature-verification functions used by the bridge, is set for one month after Ethereum's own migration. The KZG commitment behind the blob data Starknet posts to Ethereum must be migrated by Ethereum itself, and no date has been set. In an Oct. 13 blog post, StarkWare wrote that becoming an L1 would remove this dependency, but Starknet would then need its own validators and data availability.

A poll one week after a post on X

The debate began on Oct. 8, when StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson posted on X: "Starknet becoming an L1 for post-quantum agility: good idea or bad idea?" Citing the quantum threat and AI, he wrote that chains need to enter "bunker mode." StarkWare said on its official X account on Oct. 10 that "Starknet becoming an independent L1 is our clearest path forward," and the poll opened on Oct. 15.

"Ethereum's target of 2029 to become quantum-safe is too late, and deadlines slip."

Eli Ben-Sasson, StarkWare CEO (interviews with Cointelegraph and The Block)

Ben-Sasson told Cointelegraph and The Block that StarkWare hopes to release a draft whitepaper for public scrutiny in November. StarkWare has set 2027 as the target for Starknet to become quantum-safe, according to The Block. On the forum, one participant objected that as an L1, Starknet's current STRK validators would have to take on the security that Ethereum now provides, and asked the team to first publish the economic security it targets at launch.

STRK at 75 won on Bithumb, most of its post-announcement rally gone

STRK is not listed on Upbit's Korean won market but trades on Bithumb's Korean won market. At 8:33 p.m. KST on Oct. 22, STRK traded at 75.13 won on Bithumb. At the same time it was $0.05598 on Binance, putting Bithumb about 1.2% above the Binance price converted into won (about 74.25 won). Bithumb's 24-hour trading value was about 4.19 billion won.

On Binance daily candles, STRK closed at $0.04907 on Oct. 7, before Ben-Sasson's post, and closed at $0.12316 on Oct. 11, roughly 2.5 times its Oct. 7 level in four days. It then turned lower, and on the afternoon of Oct. 22 it traded about 55% below its Oct. 11 close.