Starknet's STRK Rallies 80% in a Week After Network Floats L1 Move, Citing Quantum Threat
Key Takeaways
- •STRK climbed more than 80% in seven days to $0.126 on Sunday, making it the best-performing altcoin among the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.
- •The rally began immediately after Starknet announced on October 8 that it is actively considering becoming a standalone layer 1, pitched as a route to becoming the first fully quantum-resistant network by 2027.
- •StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson argued that as a layer 2, Starknet inherits its security from Ethereum and that operating its own chain would let it ship quantum-resistance upgrades on its own timetable.
- •Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake separately urged the industry to calmly plan for 'bunker mode,' warning that AI-driven mathematics could break the ECDSA signature algorithm within months in a worst-case scenario.
- •The L1 plan remains only an idea with no formal proposal or governance vote, while other Ethereum layer 2s such as Blast and Abstract are shutting down entirely.
Starknet's native STRK token has rallied by more than 80% over the past seven days, making it the best-performing altcoin among the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. The token climbed to $0.126 on Sunday, its highest level since December of last year. Starknet is a zero-knowledge rollup developed by StarkWare that currently settles to Ethereum.
The surge ignited immediately after the network announced on October 8 that it is “actively considering becoming an L1,” a step it pitched as the route toward becoming the first fully quantum-resistant network by 2027. Becoming an L1 would mean operating as a standalone base blockchain that secures itself, rather than a layer 2 that anchors to an existing chain.
Starknet Says It Can Only Be as Safe as Ethereum
StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson asked his followers whether going layer 1 for “post-quantum agility” was a good idea or a bad one. His reasoning is rooted in how rollups operate: as a layer 2 on Ethereum, Starknet borrows its security from Ethereum, and can therefore only be as quantum-safe as the chain beneath it.
Starknet becoming an L1 for post-quantum agility: good idea or bad idea? Two giant elements we need to pay attention to: (1) The quantum threat. It may be MUCH closer than we think. (2) AI. It's becoming more powerful than we can process. Is anyone willing to bet how much time… pic.twitter.com/bLsxzwX2mQ
— Eli Ben-Sasson | Starknet.io (@EliBenSasson) October 8, 2026
https://x.com/EliBenSasson/status/2108110129572741426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
In a follow-up post, Ben-Sasson highlighted that Ethereum had to move “real fast,” and that if it does not, the option of becoming an L1 remains on the cards. Running its own chain would allow Starknet to ship security updates on its own timetable rather than waiting on Ethereum's upgrade cycle, the practical core of its “post-quantum agility” pitch. Starknet's proofs already rely on hash functions, which are considered quantum-resistant, and a roadmap published on June 30 covers replacing the remaining elliptic-curve components, the same family of cryptography that secures Bitcoin and Ethereum wallets today.
Ben-Sasson Echoes an Ethereum Researcher's Warning
The day before the announcement, Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake asked the blockchain and crypto industry to “calmly begin planning for ‘bunker mode.’” His concern is that AI-driven mathematics could potentially break ECDSA, the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm that secures Bitcoin and Ethereum wallets, before quantum computers ever get there. In the worst-case scenario, he said, that happens in months rather than years.
Drake's call for “bunker mode” involves moving funds to new addresses where the public keys have never been exposed, while at the same time cautioning against rushing to do so. Ben-Sasson echoed the warning the next day, arguing that quantum computing and fast-moving AI together call for bunker mode.
Other Ethereum L2s Are Shutting Down Instead
The proposal lands during a rough stretch for Ethereum rollups. Blast said on Oct. 2 that it would wind down because running the chain cost more than it earned, giving users until Oct. 26 to withdraw their funds to mainnet. Abstract, the chain tied to Pudgy Penguins, announced its own shutdown in early October. The twin exits underscore a difficult operating stretch for Ethereum layer 2 networks.
Starknet is in a different position, with roughly $168 million in total value locked — a measure of the assets deposited on the network. Its version of leaving Ethereum reads more like graduation than closure — a shift toward operating independently rather than winding down — and STRK buyers appear to be pricing it that way.
No Vote Has Been Scheduled Yet
For all the price action, the L1 move remains just an idea. There is no formal proposal and no governance vote. StarkWare's own roadmap states that any protocol-level change to Starknet requires approval through its governance process, and neither the Oct. 8 post nor Ben-Sasson's thread offered a timeline for a decision. The only dated milestone attached to the plan so far is the 2027 target for full quantum resistance.
Going independent would also leave Starknet fully responsible for its own security, a far heavier load than leaning on the second-largest blockchain. The token has already slipped back from its 24-hour high, and for now the market is trading on intent rather than executed plans; any formal governance proposal would give traders something firmer to price.
