Starknet launched a 7-day community vote on October 15, 2026, to inquire whether the holders of STRK should consider moving away from Ethereum's Layer ecosystem and instead become an independent Layer blockchain designed to withstand future quantum computing threats.

Starknet has launched a 7-day community vote to study an independent, quantum-resistant blockchain network.

STRK Holders are requested to express their opinions, but this vote cannot authorize any migration.

StarkWare indicates that the existing STARK has proven to be resistant to quantum attacks, yet there is still a dependency on the infrastructure connected to Ethereum.

Starknet indicates that STRK will continue to serve as its native token, and the existing Ethereum bridge will also remain open.

If approved, research will be initiated and further voting will take place; if rejected, the quantum upgrade will continue to be pursued within L2 of Starknet.

The governance forum Starknet released this proposal after discussing this possibility on StarkWare on October 8th. This vote is not binding and will determine whether developers should conduct further research on this proposed change; no decision has yet been made regarding the separation of Starknet from Ethereum.

Proposal confirmed: Regardless of the arrangement adopted, STRK will continue to serve as the native cryptocurrency of that network, and there are no plans to issue a substitute token. The existing bridge that connects Ethereum to Starknet will also remain available.

Starknet Considering Leaving Ethereum Due to Quantum Security Issues

Starknet currently operates as part of the Ethereum Layer network, utilizing its own infrastructure to process transactions, while also relying on Ethereum for certain security and settlement functions.

The proposed change will enable Starknet to operate as an independent Layer blockchain, thereby allowing for more direct control over the systems responsible for its security.

According to the governance proposal, concerns about future quantum computers have prompted developers to research whether maintaining the current relationship with Ethereum will delay certain security improvements.

Quantum computers may ultimately pose a threat to widely used encryption systems, especially certain methods used to protect blockchain accounts and authorize transactions.

StarkWare believes that its existing technology provides a foundation for addressing these risks. However, the proposal also acknowledges that some functions of Starknet still rely on Ethereum's infrastructure.

The network currently uses Ethereum to provide data availability and main blockchain bridging functions, among other features. The security changes for these components depend in part on Ethereum's own upgrade plans. If it switches to an independent Layer, Starknet developers will be able to set security requirements for these functions without having to wait for Ethereum's updates.

The proposal does not specify any migration date, nor does it explain the complete technical process required to establish an independent network. Developers have not yet submitted a final design that covers consensus, data availability, bridging, or migration procedures.

StarkWare began public discussions about this potential change on October 8th. The latest poll aims to ask the community whether they support investing more resources to study this option.

Starknet Why do they believe their technology can withstand quantum attacks?

The core argument of Starknet lies in its existing encryption system, which is proven by STARK.

These proofs allow computers to verify whether transactions follow network rules, without the need to perform each calculation repeatedly.

StarkWare explained that STARK demonstrates that the mathematical techniques used do not rely on the same type of cryptographic assumptions employed in traditional elliptic curve signatures. The company describes its proof system as capable of withstanding attacks from sufficiently powerful quantum computers.

Starknet Utilizes native account abstraction, enabling user accounts to operate through programmable smart contracts.

According to its developers, this structure will allow accounts to use quantum-resistant signature methods without the need for a comprehensive upgrade of the entire network protocol.

However, the governance proposal does not claim that every part of Starknet has undergone the required security improvements.

The project maintains a Quantum Hub that is used to explain the existing protective measures as well as the components that still need improvement.

Its research indicates that encryption systems used for account authorization, transaction verification, and connections to other blockchains are all areas that require continuous attention.

The network had previously discussed replacing certain cryptographic components with alternatives that are more resistant to quantum attacks.

For example, StarkWare has been continuously researching ways to replace old hash functions and introducing new signature methods as researchers develop and test new solutions.

The technical work released by the company describes quantum protection as a process involving multiple components, rather than a single network upgrade.

In previous discussions regarding Ethereum security and research on StarkWare, the co-founders of StarkWare, Eli Ben - Sasson, mentioned the company's history of developing STARK technology for Ethereum.

He pointed out that the company began researching proof-of-concept systems aimed at enhancing blockchain scalability and preparing for potential quantum computing risks in 2019 and 2020.

Starknet Confirm that STRK tokens will remain unchanged.

The governance proposal discussed how STRK would change if developers ultimately pursued an independent blockchain. The proposal states that whether the network continues to operate on Ethereum or becomes an independent Layer1, the existing cryptocurrencies will continue to serve as the native tokens of Starknet.

Developers have not proposed the issuance of new tokens in this potential transition. The proposal also confirms that the bridge between Ethereum and Starknet will continue to be open.

Therefore, this discussion does not imply an immediate disconnection from Ethereum, nor the removal of the existing channels for transferring assets between the two networks.

Starknet The current infrastructure supports applications such as decentralized finance, cryptocurrency transfers, and blockchain privacy services.

On October 13th, StarkWare launched Shadow Accounts, allowing users to interact with decentralized applications without publicly associating each activity with their main wallet.

As described in the Starknet new wallet privacy feature, the system will create independent application accounts funded by protected balances.

Transactions and positions in Shadow Accounts will still be displayed on the blockchain, but the association between them and the original funding wallet will be hidden.

This system is part of Starknet's ongoing efforts to improve account functionality and privacy protection.

In June this year, StarkWare also launched STRK20, which is a privacy framework that allows compatible tokens to transfer between public balances and protected balances.

The STRK20 privacy framework used for blockchain tokens utilizes cryptographic proofs to verify private transactions, while also retaining an authorized disclosure mechanism.

Neither of the above two developments requires Starknet to be converted into an independent Layer 1, nor have developers announced any changes to these services as a result of this governance vote.

A 7-day voting period will determine whether the research will continue.

This community vote is open to holders of STRK and will last for 7 days starting from October 15th. The purpose of this vote is to determine whether participants support further research on making Starknet an independent blockchain. The proposal outlines three possible outcomes: Yes, No, and Neutral.

If the result is Yes, a research process centered around option 1 of independent Layer will be initiated. Developers will then prepare a more detailed proposal and conduct further voting. If the result is No, the quantum security work of Starknet will continue to remain within the existing Ethereum Layer 2 structure.

If the result is Neutral, the governance discussion will remain open, and participants will continue to seek answers to the unresolved issues. The forum stated that the results will be displayed immediately after the voting period ends.

Community members can participate through the Starknet governance portal, while related discussions will continue on the official forum.

This voting process will not set a migration timeline, will not authorize network upgrades, nor will it require existing users to transfer their assets.

The decentralized roadmap that has been announced by Starknet currently includes work on validator participation, consensus, and network security.

This roadmap describes the plan for verifiers to participate in block verification and subsequently take on more responsibilities for network operations. StarkWare indicates that, regardless of the voting results, their quantum protection efforts will continue to be pursued.

The governance proposal on October 15th clearly stated that if the results are favorable, research will be initiated first, followed by a more detailed proposal and a vote. The final migration vote or date has not yet been announced.