StarkWare Endorses Starknet Transition to Independent Layer 1 Blockchain
StarkWare said making Starknet an independent Layer 1 is the strongest route forward, increasing its support for a possible change to the network's security architecture. The Oct. 10 statement did not include a governance proposal, launch date, bridge migration plan, or changes to the STRK token economics. Starknet currently settles on Ethereum and secures about $580 million in total value, according to L2BEAT.
StarkWare's Oct. 10 position followed an Oct. 8 remark by CEO Eli Ben-Sasson that independence could let Starknet handle security upgrades without waiting on Ethereum or Bitcoin. A day earlier, an official Starknet post framed the matter as an open question rather than a settled choice.
Today Starknet is a rollup that settles through Ethereum, submitting execution proofs and state data there while depending on Ethereum for settlement security. Its June 30 roadmap for quantum readiness connects bridge communications and Ethereum blob-based data publication to Ethereum's cryptographic upgrade, warning that turning off bridge functions too soon could break the bridge.
If Starknet eventually becomes an independent Layer 1, bridge users, STRK holders, developers, and validators could face new migration steps, altered security assumptions, and governance decisions. Asset transfers between Starknet and Ethereum may become more complex during any transition, while quantum-resistance efforts could influence long-term trust. Because no proposal or timeline exists, these effects remain uncertain; the main near-term impact may simply be wider public debate about how blockchain networks balance independence with established settlement guarantees.