Starknet Votes to Research Its Own Post-Quantum L1 Instead of Ethereum

The Starknet community has voted to research a move from a layer-2 (L2) network on Ethereum to its own layer-1 (L1) blockchain, one built to resist quantum computer attacks. The idea won 93.52% of votes. For now it is permission to draft a plan, not a decision to leave.

What exactly was decided?

The vote ran for seven days and closed on Thursday. About 3,200 votes came in, and holders of 93.52% of the voting power backed the move. According to StarkWare, turnout is a record in Starknet's governance history. The company itself abstained so the decision would stay with the community.

The poll does not oblige anyone to do anything. It only lets StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation go ahead with research. For anything to change for real, a second vote is needed, and that one will be binding. Until then the network runs as an L2 on Ethereum, as before.

A joint working group has been set up to prepare the plan. StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson told Cointelegraph that the team is already starting on a whitepaper (a technical description of the project) and hopes to show a draft for public scrutiny in November.

Why is Starknet considering an exit at all?

To see why, it helps to recall how a second-layer network works. It processes transactions on its own, while security and data storage come from Ethereum. That is convenient and cheap, but it ties Starknet to the decisions and schedule of the main blockchain. StarkWare pointed to exactly this dependence when it first floated the idea on October 8.

The idea is tied to the quantum threat, and Starknet is not starting from zero. The network uses STARK proofs built on hash functions. Its accounts are programmable, so they can switch to post-quantum signatures. The weak spot is elsewhere. The bridge and the data availability layer (where the record of transactions sits) depend on Ethereum's upgrade pace.

What changes and what stays the same?

The move itself is still on paper, but the proposal already fixes a few limits.

• Token: STRK stays the network's native token, and no new one is planned.
• Existing bridges between Starknet and Ethereum will stay open.
• Until a second vote happens, Starknet keeps running as an L2.
• A group from StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation is already working on the technical details.

How ready is the quantum technology?

In June StarkWare presented a roadmap with three phases. The first covers cryptography upgrades, the second smart-contract migration, the third infrastructure that depends on Ethereum. The Quantum Hub team has already tested the protection and run a transaction on Starknet's live network.

There is a catch. The technology is experimental and has not been through a security audit. Talk of production use is premature.

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

Eli Ben-Sasson, CEO of StarkWare, in a comment to Cointelegraph

Ben-Sasson himself sets a 2027 target for Starknet, ahead of Ethereum's expected schedule. The topic is not new for other networks either, since readiness for quantum computers is debated around Bitcoin too.

What comes next?

First, a whitepaper draft will appear in November, open to criticism. If the plan proves workable, the community will vote again, this time with real consequences. If not, Starknet stays where it is.

Users do not need to move anything. The token is the same, the bridges are open, the network runs like yesterday. The news matters more as a signal: quantum protection is increasingly a reason for architectural decisions, not just a conference topic.