Starknet Layer 1 development is under consideration as the Ethereum scaling network pursues quantum resistance. On October 8, StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson raised the possibility of operating an independent blockchain.
Starknet confirmed it was considering the change and set 2027 as its quantum-resistance target. Neither a final decision nor a migration proposal has been announced.
The question concerns Starknet’s foundations as an Ethereum Layer 2 rollup. Starknet executes transactions separately and submits cryptographic proofs to Ethereum for verification.
Ethereum also supplies data availability through blobs and protects finalized settlement through its established validator network. Independence would change that security arrangement and how Starknet handles future protocol upgrades.
Starknet Layer 1 Consideration Follows Quantum Roadmap
StarkWare outlined the technical problem in a three-phase security roadmap published June 30. First, it replaces elliptic-curve-dependent Pedersen hashing with BLAKE2 across state commitments, contract addresses, and configuration.
Second, it targets older contracts requiring additional storage protection. However, the final phase depends on changes outside Starknet’s control.
Those dependencies involve Ethereum bridge messaging and data availability. Bridge-related operations currently use elliptic-curve cryptography, which StarkWare says cannot disappear without disrupting communication.
Meanwhile, Ethereum’s EIP-4844 blobs rely on KZG commitments requiring post-quantum changes. StarkWare says compromised KZG commitments would affect data availability transparency, not STARK proof soundness.
Starknet has tested wallet security changes without upgrading Ethereum. In August, it documented an experimental mainnet wallet using Falcon-512 post-quantum signatures.
The six-cent transfer changed signature verification without requiring a new wallet address or network-wide fork. The developers described the unaudited account as experimental rather than production-ready.
The two networks also have different planning horizons. Starknet has identified 2027 as its ambition for full quantum resistance. Ethereum targets approximately 2029 for core post-quantum infrastructure, while broader migration could extend beyond that date. Neither schedule guarantees completion, while existing quantum computers cannot break Ethereum’s cryptography today.
Independent Consensus Would Reshape Security Responsibilities
A Starknet Layer 1 transition would transfer responsibilities currently handled through Ethereum settlement to a separate network. The chain would need its own validators, consensus, and finality guarantees.
It would also need data availability and new arrangements for transferring assets between Ethereum and the independent network. Starknet has not published a finalized architecture explaining those changes.
Its existing decentralization strategy already includes STRK staking, distributed sequencing, and plans for decentralized proving.
Those moves are part of its published rollup strategy. L2BEAT currently classifies Starknet as a Stage 1 rollup and identifies remaining governance and upgrade risks. That assessment cannot establish an independent chain’s future guarantees.
Ethereum’s own strategy offers a baseline for the discussion. In March, the Ethereum Foundation highlighted growing Layer 2 customization and independence. It also cited Ethereum settlement, liquidity, and shared security. An independent validator network would introduce additional operating costs that existing Ethereum settlement helps rollups avoid.
Existing Bitcoin Settlement Plans Remain Unresolved
Starknet’s earlier roadmap raises another question. That document envisages settlement on both Bitcoin and Ethereum, alongside decentralized network operations. An independent Layer 1 could require changes, but no reconciliation has been announced. The project has provided no confirmed plan to move existing bridged assets or to preserve current withdrawal arrangements.
For now, the Starknet Layer 1 discussion remains an option rather than a scheduled network change. StarkWare says protocol-level changes require governance approval. Ethereum continues to verify its state proofs, secure settlement, and provide data availability under the existing model.
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