Starknet Holders Back Quantum-Safe Layer 1 Research With 93.5% Vote

More than 93.5% of voting power backed a proposal to research moving Starknet from an Ethereum Layer 2 to an independent, post-quantum Layer 1, according to a seven-day Snapshot poll that closed Thursday morning. Over 2,800 wallets participated, and StarkWare, the network's core developer, abstained, leaving the outcome to the community.

The vote authorizes research, not the transition itself. Starknet (STRK) holders would need to vote again on any final proposal to relocate the network, according to StarkWare. Following the result, StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation will jointly study the potential transition.

"We're beginning work on a whitepaper even before we start the weekend, and hope to release a draft for public scrutiny in November," StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson told The Block.

Why does Starknet want to leave Ethereum's security model?

The proposal addresses a structural dependency. Starknet uses hash-based cryptography, and its accounts can adopt post-quantum signatures without protocol changes. But the network inherits its security from Ethereum, and its bridge and data availability layers cannot become quantum-safe independently of the underlying chain, the proposal explained.

Ben-Sasson framed the timeline as the core problem. "Ethereum's target of 2029 to become quantum-safe is too late, and deadlines slip. Ask anyone who waited for the Merge," he said, referencing Ethereum's proof-of-stake transition that landed years behind its original schedule.

He has set a 2027 target for Starknet to reach quantum safety, though no date has been agreed for a potential Layer 1 move. StarkWare laid out a three-phase post-quantum roadmap in June.

"Starknet's community has chosen to lead on the biggest security challenge crypto has ever faced," Ben-Sasson said. "AI agents are accelerating the quantum threat in ways many don't realise. The race is on."

What happens next?

The governance calendar now runs through staged steps:

• Ben-Sasson first floated the Layer 1 idea on Oct. 8; the Snapshot poll opened Oct. 15 and closed Thursday.
• StarkWare expects to publish a draft whitepaper for public review in November.
• Additional governance votes would follow before any transition proceeds.

The Starknet Foundation has set boundaries on what any final design would preserve. STRK will remain the native token regardless of the path chosen, no new token will be introduced, and Ethereum bridges to Starknet will stay open.

For StarkWare, the November whitepaper marks the next checkpoint: a public technical document must define how the network would secure settlement and data availability without Ethereum, and the community vote on that document will determine whether the transition proceeds beyond research.