Starknet holders back researching a break from Ethereum — but it's a vote to study, not to leave

Starknet token holders have voted overwhelmingly to study whether the network should stop being an Ethereum Layer 2 and become an independent, post-quantum Layer 1. The signal is strong; the commitment is not. This was a non-binding Snapshot poll to authorize research — not a decision to migrate.

According to The Block, the seven-day poll closed Thursday morning (Oct. 22) with more than 93.5% of voting power in favor and over 2,800 wallets participating — figures attributed to StarkWare, the company behind Starknet. StarkWare says it did not vote, leaving the call to the community. StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson told The Block the company is already drafting a whitepaper and hopes to release it for public scrutiny in November, after which there would be further governance votes. STRK holders would have to vote again before any actual move.

The stated rationale is quantum security. Starknet is built on hash-based cryptography and, the team says, its accounts can adopt post-quantum signatures without protocol changes — but it inherits security from Ethereum via its bridge and data availability layer, so it's only as quantum-safe as Ethereum. Ben-Sasson has set a 2027 target for Starknet to be quantum-safe and argues Ethereum's 2029 target is "too late." He first floated the Layer 1 idea on Oct. 8; the poll opened Oct. 15. StarkWare laid out a three-phase post-quantum roadmap in June.

The Starknet Foundation says that regardless of the path chosen, STRK stays the native token, no new token will be introduced, and Ethereum bridges will remain open.

Key facts

• 93.5%+ of voting power backed researching the transition; 2,800+ wallets voted (StarkWare, via The Block).
• Poll ran Oct. 15–22, 2026, seven days, on Snapshot; it is non-binding and authorizes research only (The Block).
• StarkWare says it did not vote; draft whitepaper expected November, with further votes to follow (Ben-Sasson, via The Block).
• Quantum-safe target: 2027 for Starknet (Ben-Sasson); Ethereum's stated target is 2029 (per the proposal).
• STRK remains the native token, no new token, bridges stay open regardless of outcome (Starknet Foundation).

The real-world read

Read the question that was actually asked: holders approved researching a transition, not the transition itself. A 93.5% result on a proposal to "look into it" is close to free to vote for, and StarkWare's own framing — the company declining to vote while its CEO publicly pushes the idea and already has a whitepaper in progress — leaves little doubt where the project wants this to land. The headline number is the community's; the agenda is StarkWare's.

Ben-Sasson's "2027 vs. 2029" and "the race is on" framing, including the claim that "AI agents are accelerating the quantum threat," is an interested party's argument for a change that would reduce Starknet's dependence on Ethereum — a strategic shift dressed as a security deadline. No transition date has been set, and all the headline figures trace to StarkWare rather than an independent tally. Note what's unresolved: if Starknet leaves Ethereum for data availability and bridging, what secures those functions instead, and who bears the migration risk, wasn't detailed.

Opinion, and whose

• Eli Ben-Sasson (StarkWare CEO): Ethereum's 2029 quantum-safe target is "too late, and deadlines slip," and AI is accelerating the quantum threat; he wants Starknet quantum-safe by 2027. Forecast and advocacy, not established fact.

Sources

• The Block (reputable secondary, Oct. 22, 2026) — poll results, participation, timeline, Ben-Sasson quotes, and Starknet Foundation statements; the vote tallies and participation figures are sourced to StarkWare, an interested party, not an independent audit.

Not financial advice.