Starknet Considers Leaving Ethereum to Become Standalone Quantum-Resistant Chain
Starknet weighs a move off Ethereum
Starknet announced on X on October 8 that it is "actively considering becoming an L1," meaning it could one day run as its own standalone blockchain rather than relying on Ethereum for security and transaction settlement. The announcement came without a formal governance proposal.
StarkWare co-founder and CEO Eli Ben-Sasson discussed the plan in a podcast episode with Camila Russo on The Defiant, released October 16. He also said the team is targeting 2027 for Starknet to become the first fully quantum-resistant network.
Key details
- Starknet is "actively considering" a transition to Layer 1 status, but no formal governance proposal has been submitted yet.
- The project says 2027 is the target for becoming the first fully quantum-resistant network.
- The STRK token rose from $0.05 to $0.12 in five days after the October 8 announcement but has since given back most of that gain.
- StarkWare recently shipped Shadow Accounts, which give users a separate address for each app, and launched OffMarket, a Polymarket trading service that keeps positions off public wallets.
What Ben-Sasson says about the quantum threat
Ben-Sasson told The Defiant that the quantum computing threat to current cryptographic systems is "much closer than we think." StarkWare is demonstrating ML-DSA signatures, a type of post-quantum cryptography, even though Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has identified lattice-based cryptography as the more promising path forward. The podcast also covered the ongoing debate between Buterin, Justin Drake, and Yehuda Lindell over how urgently Ethereum should prepare for quantum threats.
What is still unclear
No governance proposal has been attached to the announcement, so it is not yet clear who would approve such a move or when a formal vote would take place. It is also unclear what would replace Ethereum's settlement guarantees if Starknet becomes its own L1, or how the change would affect Starknet's revenue and token emissions model.
Why this matters
If Starknet does become a standalone chain, it would be a significant shift for one of Ethereum's most active layer-2 networks. The move would change how the network handles security and could affect the economics for STRK token holders. At the same time, Starknet's push toward quantum resistance places it at the center of a broader industry debate about how prepared blockchains are for future computing threats.
What happens next
A governance proposal has not yet been submitted, so the timeline for any vote on the L1 transition remains unknown.
Sources
Newisty Editorial Team covers technology, cryptocurrency, digital products, online platforms, developer tools and the wider digital economy. Our content is researched from official sources, company announcements, public documentation, market data and other primary or reputable sources. Articles are reviewed and edited before publication for clarity, accuracy and useful context.