Starknet voters back research into life beyond Ethereum

Starknet voters have overwhelmingly supported a proposal to research the network's potential evolution into an independent, post-quantum Layer 1 blockchain, moving beyond its current reliance on Ethereum.

The non-binding governance vote, which concluded on Thursday, saw 93.52% of the voting power in favor of the transition, out of approximately 3,200 votes cast. This marked the highest participation in Starknet's governance history, with StarkWare abstaining to allow the community to decide.

This outcome authorizes StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation to commence research into an independent L1. A separate, binding governance vote would be required for the actual transition, and Starknet will continue to operate as an Ethereum Layer 2 network in the interim.

The CEO of StarkWare, Eli Ben-Sasson, indicated that work on a whitepaper would begin immediately, with a draft expected for public review in November. A working group has been formed to analyze the transition and develop technical proposals. The proposal specifies that STRK will remain the native token, with no new token planned, and existing bridges to Ethereum will stay open.

StarkWare initially raised the possibility of this transition on October 8, citing concerns about its security dependence on Ethereum. While Starknet utilizes hash-based STARK proofs and supports programmable accounts capable of adopting post-quantum signatures, its bridge and data availability infrastructure are still tied to Ethereum's upgrade schedule.

StarkWare's Quantum Hub has reportedly tested technology to resist future quantum attacks, successfully processing a transaction on Starknet's live network, though this technology is experimental and unaudited. Ben-Sasson has set a 2027 target for Starknet to achieve quantum resistance, noting that Ethereum's projected 2029 timeline may be too late.