Starknet's community has voted overwhelmingly to advance research into whether the network should leave Ethereum and operate as an independent layer-1 blockchain built for quantum security. The seven-day governance poll closed on October 22 with 93.52% of voting power supporting further research, drawing approximately 3,200 votes, according to the official proposal on Starknet's governance portal.

StarkWare, which developed the network, described the poll as Starknet's largest governance vote to date and said it abstained from the ballot.

The outcome is non-binding. It clears the way for continued study of a standalone layer-1 network, but it does not authorize Starknet's departure from Ethereum. Any actual change would require a separate binding vote by token holders, and the network will continue to operate as an Ethereum layer-2 while the research is underway.

StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson expects a draft whitepaper to be published in November for public review. A joint working group from StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation is preparing technical options for running the network independently; no finished design has been released so far. The draft and the later binding vote are the next visible checkpoints in the process.

Why Ethereum Dependence Matters

StarkWare put the proposal forward on October 8, noting that Starknet currently relies on Ethereum for transaction data and its bridge. Layer-2 networks run on top of a base blockchain and lean on it for data and settlement, so those services would still follow Ethereum's security timetable, tying the layer-2's core functions to Ethereum's upgrade schedule.

Starknet already uses STARK proofs, which rely on hash-based methods, and its account design can support new digital signature schemes without a major protocol change. According to the proposal, these features offer protection against future quantum computers.

A separate blockchain, however, would need its own systems to verify transactions and keep network records available. Researchers must establish how those systems would work before presenting a final plan to token holders.

Quantum Roadmap and Industry Context

The debate follows recent Google quantum computing research that reported progress in reducing errors. That work did not demonstrate an attack on blockchain security, and StarkWare has not reported one either.

In June, StarkWare presented a three-stage security roadmap covering new signing methods, contract changes, and infrastructure that currently depends on Ethereum. The company's Quantum Hub has tested a quantum-resistant transaction on Starknet, though the method has not been reviewed by independent auditors.

Meanwhile, nine crypto companies recently launched a joint quantum security effort focused on Bitcoin. The wider industry has yet to establish when quantum machines might threaten existing cryptographic systems.

Under the proposed framework, STRK would remain Starknet's native token and Ethereum bridges would stay open. Ben-Sasson wants Starknet to achieve quantum resistance by 2027, compared with Ethereum's projected timeline of 2029. Developers have not set a date for any independent layer-1 launch.