Key Notes
- Starknet’s seven-day advisory poll asks STRK holders whether to research an independent quantum-resistant L1, with voting scheduled for October 15–22.
- A yes result would start research and further proposals, while any actual transition would need a separate governance process and has no approved date.
- The proposal keeps STRK as the network token and Ethereum bridges open, while security work continues across accounts, proofs and external dependencies.
Starknet has announced a seven-day advisory vote on whether to research becoming an independent, quantum-resistant layer-one blockchain. The proposal asks STRK holders to consider a change that could give the network greater control over its security timetable, rather than continuing to depend on Ethereum for every part of its cryptographic migration.
The proposal, published October 15, does not approve a move away from the network’s current Ethereum layer-two architecture. Voting is scheduled to open at 09:32 UTC on October 15 and close at the same time on October 22. At publication, the ballot was pending.
A positive result would begin research and lead to more detailed proposals and polls. Any eventual decision to become an L1 would require a separate governance process. No transition date has been set.
A vote to investigate, with three possible outcomes
The ballot offers three choices: support further research, oppose it, or remain neutral because more information is needed. That framing makes the immediate decision narrower than approving a new blockchain architecture.
If holders vote yes, the next step is a research effort intended to produce more specific options for the community. If they vote no, Starknet will continue its post-quantum work as an L2. A neutral result would keep the discussion open while outstanding questions are addressed.
The forum post also sets two expectations regardless of the direction chosen: STRK would remain the network’s token, with no new token introduced, and bridges between Ethereum and Starknet would remain open. The proposal therefore does not ask holders to approve a token replacement or an immediate end to Ethereum connectivity.
The poll follows StarkWare’s October 8 announcement that it was exploring an independent L1. CoinScreamer’s earlier coverage examined Eli Ben-Sasson’s argument that control over security upgrades could become important as quantum computing and AI-assisted mathematical research advance.
Why the Ethereum dependency matters
Starknet currently operates as a validity rollup, using Ethereum as its base layer. The security discussion separates improvements Starknet can make itself from components whose cryptographic assumptions are inherited from Ethereum.
StarkWare’s migration register identifies Ethereum-facing data availability, bridges and messaging as distinct dependencies. Under normal conditions, Starknet publishes state differences through Ethereum blobs, which use KZG commitments; calldata remains an alternative.
An independent L1 could allow Starknet to choose the security architecture and upgrade schedule for its own base layer. That is the central motivation presented in the proposal. It is also a substantial architectural question, rather than a wallet setting that can simply be switched on.
Keeping an Ethereum bridge open would still require examining that bridge’s security separately. Independence would not automatically make every asset crossing from another network quantum-resistant, nor would it replace the need for a defined migration process.
The current poll does not settle the implementation design. Research would need to turn the broad objective of greater security autonomy into concrete proposals before holders could assess an actual transition.
STARK proofs and programmable accounts provide a head start
StarkWare’s technical overview describes two existing advantages. STARK proofs use hash-based commitments rather than the elliptic-curve assumptions targeted by Shor’s quantum algorithm. Native account abstraction allows programmable accounts to define which signatures they accept.
Those features address different problems. The proving system validates computation, while an account’s signature rules determine who can authorize a transaction. A new account implementation can adopt a post-quantum signature verifier without requiring a network-wide hard fork.
Starknet’s August explainer described a mainnet transfer from an experimental account using a post-quantum signature. The account was unaudited and intended for research, so the demonstration should be distinguished from a broadly deployed wallet service.
The migration register also cautions that existing accounts do not change automatically. Wallet integration, custody, key management, recovery and audits remain separate work. Hash-based proofs provide an advantage, but their security still depends on the selected hashes, parameters and implementation.
Other protocol changes are at different stages. Starknet’s operating-system program and configuration hashes have been updated on mainnet, while changes to contract-address derivation and storage structures remain published directions. Tooling for older contracts is still being researched.
For users and developers, the next confirmed milestone is the advisory poll’s October 22 close. The result will indicate whether holders want the L1 option investigated further; it will not itself change where Starknet settles transactions or establish a deadline for moving assets.
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