Reviewed by Reviewed by Jacob Thomas Updated 06:00 EDT October 9, 2026 Share Share Share Back to Top Starknet, an Ethereum L2, is considering becoming a standalone layer 1 (L1) blockchain. The project team, led by Eli Ben-Sasson, believes Ethereum is not moving “fast enough” to become quantum-resistant, citing its 2029 timeline
For Starknet, the increasing risks from advanced AI models mean the security push should be accelerated
Right now, we’re reliant on the security of Ethereum, and many parts of it are not quantum-safe. If we become an L1, we’ll replace that layer with a quantum-resistant layer that has hashes
For Ben-Sasson, becoming an L1 would allow Starknet to have “post-quantum agility”
The team eyed 2027 as the target to make the network fully quantum-resistant. Recent mathematical breakthroughs by OpenAI have heightened security concerns, raising fears that current blockchain cryptography could be cracked sooner than expected
The crisis is deeper given the lack of consensus on how to approach the immediate AI threat. An Ethereum researcher proposed a ‘bunker mode’ migration to hide public keys and reduce risk exposure to wallet addresses that are reused
However, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin is cautious of the proposed wallet migration and ‘bunker mode.’ Additionally, he warned that lattice-based cryptography, currently being floated for post-quantum security, can be cracked by better AI models
For him, hash-based cryptography should be improved for better post-quantum security
But Cardano’s Charles Hoskinson slammed Buterin for lack of concrete proof for his claims against lattice-based cryptography
Simply put, it will probably take a while before Buterin convinces the broader Ethereum ecosystem on the best security approach to the AI/quantum threat
Worse still, part of Starknet relies on a lattice system that Buterin is skeptical about. To some critics, the 2027 timeline was far too aggressive. Others, such as analyst Gabriel Shapiro, felt Starknet’s L1 plan is “hateful” towards Ethereum
Yes, please do it(become L1); it’s obvious you hate Ethereum
That said, Starknet’s DeFi activity, as tracked by TVL (total value locked), has declined by nearly half from $310M to $160M. The liquidity has decreased to $152M
Whether it will be competitive and regain traction, as some L2s shut down, remains to be seen
That said, STRK investors seemed bullish about the post-quantum and L1 plans. In the past 48 hours, the token rallied +50% as the broader market sold off
Benjamin Njiri is a Crypto Analyst and Reporter at AMBCrypto, specializing in technical analysis and emerging market trends. With a background in Telecoms engineering and power systems, he applies data analysis to filter market noise and decode on-chain data. His work delivers clear, data-driven insights that help readers navigate crypto markets with confidence
