POPA ReconStarknet L1 plan: what was said, where it stands, and how STRK moved
Starknet says it is "actively considering" becoming an L1 to be fully quantum-resistant, with 2027 as the target. No decision has been made. STRK trades near $0.0544, up about 8.6% over 24 hours.
What was announced
At 08:32 UTC on 8 Oct 2026 the Starknet account posted: "We are actively considering becoming an L1. This would enable Starknet to become the first fully quantum-resistant network, with 2027 as our target." The post quotes Eli Ben-Sasson's thread, published 13 minutes earlier and tied to his TOKEN2049 talk. He asks whether Starknet becoming an L1 for post-quantum agility is a good idea or a bad one. He names two pressures: the quantum threat, which "may be MUCH closer than we think", and AI growing more powerful than we can process. He calls for "bunker mode". A future-proofed chain, he says, needs the right cryptography, crypto agility and L1 status. StarkWare's own post says one dependency stops Starknet from being fully post-quantum secure and AI-ready within months, and asks whether to remove it by becoming an independent L1.
Why L1
crypto_banter says an L2 has to wait on Ethereum, which it says is aiming for 2029. ODesenfans argues that parts of the current protocol, such as the state trie and consensus, are not quantum-ready. Both are community readings, not official statements.
Status
Nothing has been decided. StarkWare's wording is a question put to the community, and a Russian-language news summary states that no decision has been made and no technical details have been given. Lyskey writes that an independent L1 could make Starknet fully post-quantum within a few months. I found no roadmap, vote or governance proposal.
STRK reaction
Prices at 10:51 UTC:
Binance spot: $0.05436, +8.57% over 24h.
MEXC spot: $0.05438, +8.8%.
Gate spot: $0.05439, +8.64%.
KuCoin spot: $0.05435, +8.72%.
KuCoin perpetual: +10.02%.
Binance spot 24h volume: about 14.3M STRK.
Prices are tight across venues: the spot spread is 0.15% and the perpetual spread 0.46%. The 24h change covers the whole day, so it cannot be tied to the announcement alone, and the sources do not give the price just before 08:32 UTC.
Community sentiment
It is split.
Bullish: Zup88 calls it "huge positive news" for Starknet.
Sceptical: KirProzorov says it changes the deal for anyone who chose Starknet for Ethereum's security.
Sceptical: blmihnea suspects a push on the quantum narrative to lift the price.
Sceptical: vadim_web3 reads it as another sign that L2s are struggling.
Not established
The sources do not give the L1 design, the migration path, the fate of the STRK token or its role as an L1 asset, or a decision date.