Starknet Weighs Leaving Ethereum to Become Its Own Quantum-Resistant L1 by 2027

Published October 10, 2026, 13:15 PKT. Based on Starknet's October 8 X announcement, StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson's X posts, and reporting from CoinMarketCap Academy, Stocktwits and TokenPost.

Starknet, the zero-knowledge rollup that settles on Ethereum as a layer 2, said on October 8 that it is "actively considering becoming an L1," a move it claims could make it the first fully quantum-resistant network by 2027, according to the project's X post. STRK, the network's token, surged more than 30% in 24 hours to over $0.07, reaching a nine-month high in its biggest single-day gain in over a year, Stocktwits reported.

The 2027 quantum-resistance target

StarkWare, the company behind Starknet, framed the possible split as a race against Ethereum's own timeline. "Ethereum is targeting full L1 quantum resistance by the end of 2029. Bitcoin has made no such commitment. Starknet could get there by 2027," StarkWare co-founder and CEO Eli Ben-Sasson wrote on X, according to CoinMarketCap Academy. Ben-Sasson also raised the proposal in connection with his remarks at the TOKEN2049 conference, TokenPost and CoinEdition reported.

Starknet currently processes transactions away from Ethereum's main chain and relies on Ethereum for its security and settlement. As its own chain, it would control its security upgrades rather than wait for Ethereum, Ben-Sasson wrote. TokenPost reported that the shift would require Starknet to build its own security and validator framework, along with a transition path for users and applications.

Why Starknet thinks its proofs give it an edge

The pitch rests on cryptography. Starknet's STARK proofs are built on hash functions, which Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake wrote are designed to minimize the mathematical structure an attacker could exploit. The elliptic curves behind most crypto signatures carry far more of it, Drake wrote in his "bunker mode" warning this week, which MABOnChain covered in detail here. TokenPost reported that Starknet's STARK-based proving system and programmable accounts give it a foundation for quantum-resistant upgrades, while Ethereum's own roadmap targets full post-quantum protection by 2029.

Drake urged large holders to move funds gradually to fresh wallet addresses that had never signed a transaction, warning that in the worst case a break in wallet cryptography could come in "months not years," CoinMarketCap Academy reported.

STRK's 30% rally and the leverage piling on

The rally was sharp and broad. STRK gained more than 30% in 24 hours to over $0.07 and ranked among the top trending tickers on Stocktwits, where retail sentiment trended "extremely bullish," Stocktwits reported. CoinMarketCap Academy measured a 25.9% gain to $0.0612 as of 10:44 a.m. ET on Thursday, CoinEdition put the 24-hour move at nearly 39%, and CaptainAltcoin reported a jump from roughly $0.052 to $0.074 in a matter of hours. The move capped a long climb back from mid-April lows near $0.032, according to price-history data published by CoinGape.

It came against a weak market backdrop. Bitcoin traded around $82,400 after recovering from a drop below $81,000 in the previous session, a selloff that triggered more than $1 billion in crypto liquidations over 24 hours, Stocktwits reported. STRK still trades about 62% below its price a year ago, according to CoinMarketCap Academy.

Futures traders piled in alongside the move. STRK's futures open interest rose 53% over 24 hours, and futures volume ran about five times spot volume, CoinGlass data reported by CoinMarketCap Academy showed. Short sellers lost less than $1 million in the move. K33 Research found that six of seven rapid leverage build-ups in bitcoin over five years were followed by further declines, averaging 16% over 30 days.

The governance hurdle

The plan is still a proposal. Starknet has yet to confirm the layer 1 transition or publish a detailed implementation plan, Stocktwits and TradingView reported. Protocol changes on Starknet need approval through its governance process, according to StarkWare's roadmap, as reported by Unchained via CoinMarketCap Academy. A governance proposal would be the first concrete step, and until then the rally remains exposed to an unwind in futures positioning.

A brutal backdrop for Ethereum L2s

Starknet's pivot talk lands in a harsh period for layer 2 networks. Star projects from Blast's exit to the heavily funded consumer chain Abstract announcing its shutdown have been disconnecting, leaving users with a final window to withdraw via cross-chain bridges before year-end, TechFlow reported. Against that clearing out, Starknet's independence pitch is a bet that a standalone, quantum-resistant chain can command value where the rollup story is losing momentum.

This article is news reporting and is not investment advice.

Sources

• Starknet, official X post (@Starknet), October 8, 2026, "actively considering becoming an L1," with a 2027 target to become the first fully quantum-resistant network, primary source for the announcement
• StarkWare co-founder and CEO Eli Ben-Sasson, X posts, October 8, 2026, on Ethereum's end-2029 target for full L1 quantum resistance, Bitcoin making no such commitment, and Starknet potentially getting there by 2027, primary source for the rationale
• CoinMarketCap Academy, Starknet Price Climbs 26% as It Floats Quantum-Resistant Split From Ethereum (Oct. 9, 2026), secondary source for the price move, the futures data, Drake's warning and the governance requirement
• Stocktwits, STRK Outpaces Bitcoin To Hit 9-Month High After Starknet Signals Potential Layer 1 Move (Oct. 9, 2026), secondary source for the rally size, the nine-month high and retail sentiment
• TokenPost, STRK Rallies as Starknet Weighs Ethereum Layer 1 Shift (Oct. 9, 2026), secondary source for Ben-Sasson's TOKEN2049 connection and the L1 transition requirements
• CoinEdition, Starknet Price Prediction: STRK Rallies 39% as Network Weighs Layer 1 Shift for Quantum Security (Oct. 9, 2026), secondary source for the rally size and open interest figures