Starknet's community has voted to support research into becoming an independent, post-quantum layer-1 blockchain, moving the network a step closer to a potential departure from Ethereum.

The seven-day governance vote closed on Thursday, drawing roughly 3,200 votes, with 93.52% of voting power in favor of the transition. According to StarkWare, the non-binding poll recorded the highest participation in Stark's governance history. The company said it abstained from voting to leave the decision to the community.

The outcome allows StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation to proceed with research into an independent L1. The actual shift itself would require a separate, binding governance vote. For now, Starknet will continue operating as an Ethereum layer-2 network. The distinction carries weight: a layer-2 leans on its base chain for critical security functions, while an independent layer-1 would be responsible for securing itself from top to bottom.

"We're beginning work on a whitepaper even before we start the weekend, and hope to release a draft for public scrutiny in November," StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson told Cointelegraph.

The proposal is published on Starknet's community forum, with voting results available on the network's governance portal.

Starknet outlines next steps for post-quantum L1 research

StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation have established a working group to examine the proposed transition and develop more detailed technical proposals. Together with the draft whitepaper Ben-Sasson hopes to release in November, those technical proposals represent the next concrete checkpoints before the community faces a binding vote on the transition.

Under the governance proposal, STRK will remain the network's native token, with no new token planned, while existing bridges between Starknet and Ethereum will remain open.

StarkWare first raised the potential transition on Oct. 8, citing concerns about the network's dependence on Ethereum for security. Although Starknet uses hash-based STARK proofs and supports programmable accounts capable of adopting post-quantum signatures, its bridge and data availability infrastructure remain dependent on Ethereum's upgrade timeline. The concern is not unique to Starknet: researchers have long warned that sufficiently powerful quantum computers could break the elliptic-curve signatures securing most blockchains, a risk that hash-based cryptography is designed to withstand.

In June, StarkWare unveiled a three-phase quantum-resistance roadmap covering cryptographic upgrades, smart-contract migration and Ethereum-dependent infrastructure. The company's Quantum Hub says it has already tested technology designed to withstand future quantum attacks, successfully processing a transaction on Starknet's live network. However, the technology remains experimental and has not yet undergone a security audit.

Ben-Sasson has set a 2027 target for making Starknet quantum-resistant, ahead of Ethereum's projected timeline.

"Ethereum's target of 2029 to become quantum-safe is too late, and deadlines slip," he said.