The Starknet team is contemplating a shift from being a layer 2 solution for Ethereum to establishing itself as an independent Layer 1 blockchain. This was announced by Eli Ben-Sasson, CEO of StarkWare.

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 we have until AI breaks something that we considered as safe? This calls for “bunker mode”. Chains need to become future-proofed. And fast. Here’s what it takes to make a chain truly future-proofed: — The right cryptography — Crypto agility — Becoming an L1. This connects to what I talked about in my Token2049 talk today. Here’s the summary: 🧵

— Eli Ben-Sasson | Starknet.io (@EliBenSasson) October 8, 2026

He raised the question of whether Starknet should transition to L1 for the sake of "post-quantum agility," which refers to the network's ability to seamlessly update cryptographic measures as new threats emerge.

Ben-Sasson identified two main threats. The first is related to quantum computing, referencing a study by ECDSA.Fail, which included contributions from his company.

In an open competition, participants along with AI agents reduced the estimated resources needed for a quantum computer to break elliptic curve signatures by 86%.

He believes that artificial intelligence could significantly accelerate the emergence of powerful quantum computers, more so than most anticipate.

The second threat he sees is the AI itself, which is "becoming more powerful than we can process."

“Is anyone willing to bet how much time we have until AI breaks something that we considered safe?” asked the CEO of StarkWare.

Why Starknet Needs L1 Status

Ben-Sasson outlined three essential conditions for preparing a blockchain for a quantum future:

  • the right cryptography;
  • cryptographic flexibility;
  • L1 status.

He stated that Starknet possesses almost all of these elements, except for one—its status as a Layer 1 blockchain. As a Layer 2 solution, it relies on Ethereum's security, meaning it cannot fully protect itself from quantum threats and AI dangers until the mainnet does.

“What happens if that doesn’t occur? We are considering several options, including transitioning to L1,” he explained.

Transitioning to L1 would grant Starknet complete control over updates, Ben-Sasson noted. He estimates that, in this scenario, the network could achieve full quantum resistance by 2027, while the Ethereum Foundation plans to do so by the end of 2029.

It is worth mentioning that in June, StarkWare unveiled a three-phase roadmap for transitioning the network to post-quantum cryptography.