Starknet got an overwhelming vote approval to become an independent layer 1 (L1) chain, but suffered a massive DeFi activity blow. The Ethereum L2 saw its total value locked (TVL) drop by 3.7x (73%) from $158M to $42M on 22nd October.
The crash was triggered by Extended, a decentralized perpetual futures exchange, which migrated from Starknet to Circle-backed Arc blockchain. The platform had a strategic partnership with Circle and sought higher performance.
Extended migrated $120M in TVL, suggesting that it was the sole driver of Starknet’s DeFi activity.
Source: DeFiLlama Similarly, Starknet’s stablecoin liquidity dropped by 75% from $147M to $37M over the same period. The bridged volumes also crashed, underscoring the dominance the Extended had in the L2.
Will Starknet hold up after 93% support for L1 migration? That said, Starknet plans to transition from an Ethereum L2 to an independent L1. The Starknet team, led by Eli Ben-Sasson, first floated the idea in early October.
Ben-Sasson argued that Ethereum’s post-quantum plan is too slow and may undermine the chain’s security plans amid increasing double threats from advanced AI models and quantum breakthroughs.
A formal proposal for the same was put to a governance vote on 15th October. The proposal got massive 93% support, urging Starknet to research ways to become an L1.
Source: Starknet governance Following the vote, Sasson said StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation will allocate resources to begin the research. He added,
STRK will remain the token of the network. Any path to transition to an L1 will be brought to a community vote. This is a huge shift and a milestone, but the AI and quantum challenges ahead require it.
Despite the overwhelming vote approval, however, STRK’s price chart was surprisingly negative.
Starknet’s STRK reverses October gains In early October, the L1 proposal sent STRK rallying by over +120% from $0.05 to $0.12. However, what followed was intense profit-taking, triggering a 58% loss and effectively reversing October’s gains.
Source: STRK/USDT, TradingView In fact, the pullback slipped below the EMA (exponential moving average) band. Simply put, STRK flipped bearish and shed another 7% on 22nd October. Unless the broader market sentiment improves, STRK could stay below the EMA bands for a while.
Final Summary Starknet TVL has crashed by 73% after Extended perps platform migrated $120M to Arc. Team plans to begin L1 research pathways, but STRK reversed all of October’s gains.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
October 22 brought a new financing partnership for the XRP Ledger, an interest-paying digital deposit from SoFi and expanded trading capabilities at Uniswap. The day’s announcements also included regulatory action against Coinbase Ireland, a major venture-capital rebrand and a governance decision at Starknet.
Ripple and Arf Target Payment Firms’ Funding Needs
Ripple and Arf announced a partnership to provide licensed payment companies with short-term financing in RLUSD through the XRP Ledger. The funding is intended to cover the period while international payments settle, with Arf’s financing typically repaid within one to five days. A later phase would use XRPL’s proposed native lending features once the required amendments are activated.
SoFi Introduces a Tokenized Deposit Paying 4.40% APY
SoFi unveiled SOFIE, a tokenized bank deposit offering a variable 4.40% annual percentage yield, with deposits eligible for FDIC insurance within applicable limits. Customers can exchange SOFIE for SoFiUSD at a one-to-one rate, then use the stablecoin for crypto purchases or transfers to supported external wallets. Access is being introduced to SoFi Crypto members in stages through November.
Uniswap Expands Access to Liquidity From Other Exchanges
Uniswap Labs activated aggregator hooks on Ethereum, Base and Robinhood Chain, allowing its trading system to draw on liquidity from external platforms. Seven sources are available initially through the web app and API, giving the system additional prices and trading routes to compare. Swaps using these connections also generate protocol fees that contribute to UNI token burns.
Coinbase Ireland Receives €3.25 Million Penalty
Ireland’s central bank announced a €3.25 million penalty against Coinbase Ireland for shortcomings in protecting customer funds and overseeing outsourced operations. The settlement was reached on October 21 and disclosed on October 22, with the sanctions still requiring High Court confirmation. Coinbase said it had corrected the issues and that customers had neither lost money nor been prevented from accessing their funds.
Starknet Voters Support Research Into an Independent Blockchain
A Starknet poll that closed on October 22 recorded more than 93.5% of voting power in favor of researching a transition from an Ethereum Layer 2 into an independent blockchain designed for post-quantum security. StarkWare plans to prepare a draft whitepaper for public review in November. Any actual network transition would require further governance approval.
a16z Crypto Adopts the Frontier Name and Broadens Its Focus
Andreessen Horowitz announced that a16z Crypto is becoming a16z Frontier as its new fund expands into a wider range of emerging technologies. Managing partner Chris Dixon identified opportunities around artificial intelligence, new computing devices and other businesses that may take years to develop. The firm said cryptocurrency investments and its work on crypto regulation will continue under the broader mandate.
Dune Launches Faster Data Feeds for Onchain Markets
Dune introduced a market-data service that delivers information about blockchain trades roughly one second after execution, according to its announcement. Its spot coverage spans more than 200 trading venues across 12 networks, while a separate feed covers perpetual futures on Hyperliquid and Lighter. The service supplies standardized trade details and links them to the underlying blockchain transactions.
Fireblocks Rejects Report of Acquisition Talks With Visa
Fireblocks disputed an October 22 Axios report claiming Visa was in advanced discussions to acquire the company for approximately $2.5 billion. In a response to The Block, Fireblocks said the reported talks were untrue at that time, while Visa declined to comment. The companies have announced no acquisition agreement.
Starknet has voted to explore becoming an independent layer 1 blockchain designed to withstand quantum-computing threats, with 93.5% of votes supporting further research in a non-binding community poll.
More than 3,200 wallets participated in the week-long vote, the highest turnout recorded in a Starknet poll. StarkWare did not participate in the vote.
The result does not approve a migration from Ethereum layer 2 to layer 1; instead, it triggers a research effort intended to produce more detailed proposals for a future governance decision.
StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation will lead the research, with a draft white paper expected in November. CEO Eli Ben-Sasson has set a 2027 target for Starknet to become quantum-safe, saying Ethereum’s stated 2029 target leaves the network exposed to delays in its underlying blockchain’s upgrades.
Although Starknet uses hash-based cryptography and STARK proofs, it still relies on Ethereum for parts of its security architecture, including its bridge and data availability. Independent layer 1 could allow Starknet to control more of its own post-quantum security roadmap.
The network has already begun deploying post-quantum technology. Falcon-based post-quantum accounts are live on mainnet, and a smartphone has generated post-quantum proof that Starknet successfully accepted.
The proposed research will examine how the network could further reduce its reliance on Ethereum as it prepares for potential quantum threats.
The existing user experience will remain unchanged during the research phase, with STRK retaining its role as the native token and Ethereum bridges staying open.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation will jointly study leaving Ethereum's layer 2 model, though the poll commits Starknet to nothing yet.
Starknet holders back researching a move to an independent layer 1
Posted October 22, 2026 at 12:47 pm ET.
Starknet has started researching whether to stop operating as an Ethereum layer 2 and run as its own blockchain, after a community poll backed the study. The network says it wants full post-quantum security by 2027, though the vote does not commit it to the switch.
The non-binding Snapshot poll closed on Thursday, Oct. 22, after running for seven days. The option “Yes, this should be researched” took 93.52% of the roughly 489 million STRK in voting power cast across 3,236 votes. About 4.6% of voting power chose “No,” and about 1.9% picked the neutral option asking for more information.
In a results post on its governance forum, the Starknet Foundation maintained that the vote “does not approve Starknet’s transition to an L1,” and that formal approval would be sought once research and design work is finished.
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What Happens Next
According to the Foundation, StarkWare and the Foundation will now run a joint working group and post its findings to the forum. If the work supports moving ahead, detailed proposals would then go back to the community for further votes. The Foundation asked node operators, app builders and STRK holders to reply with the questions they want the research to address.
StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson wrote on X that “any path to transition to an L1 will be brought to a community vote” and that STRK will stay the network’s token. He called the result “a huge shift and a milestone,” adding that “the AI and quantum challenges ahead require it.”
The poll discussion thread also said no new token would be issued and that bridges from Ethereum to Starknet would stay open whatever the outcome.
Why Starknet Is Looking at an L1
The Foundation said Starknet “has an architectural head start on post-quantum security,” pointing to proof systems built on hash functions and user accounts that can switch to new signature schemes without a protocol upgrade. In a separate post, Ben-Sasson wrote that ZK-STARKs “were designed with post-quantum security in mind” and that the team “will do the needed work to ensure all of Starknet is post-quantum secure.”
The constraint, according to Starknet, is its reliance on Ethereum. Its official account said on X it is “targeting full post-quantum security by 2027,” while Ethereum’s target is 2029, and that as an L2 it “cannot complete that transition while its bridge and data availability remain tied to Ethereum’s timeline.”
Starknet first set the 2027 goal on Oct. 8, when it said it was considering becoming an L1. Ben-Sasson raised the idea the same day in a post on X, writing that “chains need to become future-proofed. And fast.” Two days later, StarkWare said in its own post on X that “Starknet becoming an independent L1 is our clearest path forward.” StarkWare’s three-phase post-quantum roadmap from June 30 had left the bridge and blob data availability tied to Ethereum’s own upgrade, and did not mention an L1.
Related Listen: Why People Are Worried AI Could Crack the Math That Secures Every Blockchain
AI-assisted content: This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by a member of the Unchained editorial team before publication.
Starknet holders approved research into turning the network into an independent, post-quantum Layer 1. The vote was non-binding and does not commit Starknet to leaving Ethereum. Foundation-delegated STRK supplied most of the voting power. STRK has erased most of its October rally and trades inside a descending channel. Starknet’s non-binding governance poll on researching a move from Ethereum Layer 2 to an independent, quantum-resistant Layer 1 closed on October 22 with 93.52% of voting power in favor. More than 2,800 wallets voted over seven days on Snapshot. The outcome authorizes study, not migration, and StarkWare plans to publish a draft whitepaper in November 2026. STRK did not rally on the news. The token fell 11.7% in 24 hours and 41% over the week, according to CoinMarketCap, and trades near $0.0545 with a market value of about $414 million.
Snapshot poll ends at 93.52% for research, not for an exit 93.52%
Voting power in favor
2,800+
Participating wallets
Oct 15-22
Voting window
No
Migration approved
Voters had three choices: back more research, reject the idea, or stay neutral until more details emerge. The 93.52% figure measures voting power, which scales with the STRK behind each address, so it says little about how many individual holders agreed. Early tallies above 99.9% circulated widely before the final count. The final count showed about 489 million STRK in voting power across 3,236 votes, with 4.6% choosing No and 1.9% asking for more information. According to the poll on Starknet’s Snapshot space, a Yes result triggers research and further proposals, so any real transition still needs separate governance votes.
The Starknet community has voted to research whether Starknet should become an independent, post-quantum L1.
Starting today, a joint @StarkWareLtd × @StarknetFndn working group will lead the research and publish a paper in the coming months. pic.twitter.com/26jV9IXKLv
— Starknet (@Starknet) October 22, 2026
StarkWare’s 2027 target collides with Ethereum’s December 2029 deadline Starknet works as a validity rollup. It executes transactions off Ethereum’s main chain and posts a cryptographic proof to Ethereum showing each batch was processed correctly. Ethereum handles settlement, and Starknet’s bridge and data availability depend on it. Most blockchains authorize transactions with elliptic-curve signatures, which a large enough quantum computer could in theory break, and post-quantum signature standards exist precisely to replace them. Starknet’s STARK proofs rely on hash functions, which are considered more resistant to known quantum attacks. The Ethereum-linked components still upgrade only as fast as Ethereum does.
STARKNET TARGET
2027
Full quantum resistance, a goal rather than a confirmed date
ETHEREUM TARGET
Dec 2029
Execution, consensus and data layers, subject to reassessment
StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson first raised the L1 idea on October 8, and two days later StarkWare called an independent L1 its clearest path forward, so the poll asked holders to endorse a direction the team had already chosen. The Ethereum Foundation’s Protocol cluster aims for quantum resistance across execution, consensus and data by December 2029, while the Ethereum quantum-resistance roadmap treats that year as a planning target. After the vote, Ben-Sasson told The Block that Ethereum’s 2029 target is too late and that deadlines slip, pointing to the long wait for the Merge.
41 addresses carried 94% of the voting weight Analyst Illia Cherviakov reviewed 2,593 votes recorded by October 19 and found that Foundation-delegated STRK supplied 94.1% of the 375.7 million voting power, spread across 41 addresses.
Who supplied the voting power
375.7M STRK across 2,593 votes, as of October 19
Foundation-delegated STRK94.1%
353.7M, held by 41 addresses
Staked STRK5.7%
21.29M
vSTRK on Starknet0.2%
0.70M
STRK on Ethereum<0.1%
0.02M
Delegation is not direct voting. Under Starknet’s model, the Foundation delegates voting power and does not vote directly. Cherviakov also found that independently held voting power backed the proposal by about 99.3%, so the result likely stands without the delegated stake. The weak link is turnout. A 2025 governance call showed only 9% of available voting power used across two proposals, and that pattern would shape any binding vote.
An independent Starknet would rely on $84 million of staked STRK The Starknet Foundation says STRK remains the native token and the Ethereum bridges stay open. On an independent chain, staked STRK would become the main barrier against attacks instead of Ethereum’s validators. An October 19 analysis published by ICKWEB3 counted about 1.54 billion STRK staked across 137 validators, worth roughly $84 million at today’s price. No issuance model or validator reward design has been announced. Bridged deposits and data availability would also need new security models, and quantum-resistant cryptography alone does not make a chain decentralized or well capitalized.
STRK sellers defend $0.0588 after a 57% drop from the peak STRK/USDT 4-hour chart. Source: Alexander Stefanov on TradingView STRK trades at $0.0545 on the 4-hour Binance chart, about 57% below the October 11 high of $0.1265, after unwinding most of a 231% rally from $0.0382. The steepest leg of that move started on October 8, the day Ben-Sasson floated the L1 idea. On October 21 buyers pushed price above $0.066 on the heaviest volume since mid-month, but the move stalled at the upper channel line. Price then closed below the 200 EMA at $0.0588 and the 0.786 Fibonacci level at $0.0571, so that band now acts as resistance.
Resistance
$0.0588
200 EMA, the level to reclaim
Price now
$0.0545
Inside a descending channel
Support
$0.0482
0.886 Fibonacci and channel floor
The $0.0482 level matches the October 7 and 8 lows, and the lower channel line is converging on it. A 4-hour close below would leave little support until $0.044. The RSI reads 38.35, below the neutral 50 mark but not oversold, and it made a higher low while price retested $0.0537. Sellers are losing some force, though the trend has not turned. A close back above $0.0588 would be the first sign of a recovery.
November whitepaper becomes the next test for the L1 case The draft whitepaper should show how consensus would work, what replaces Ethereum for data availability and how many validators the network would need. Ethereum’s timetable is the other variable. The Ethereum Foundation has said that reaching full post-quantum readiness would require an average of 7.2 months per fork, a faster cadence than most of Ethereum’s past upgrades, with even the next upgrade, Glamsterdam, still waiting for a mainnet date. Each delayed upgrade strengthens StarkWare’s argument, while a faster Ethereum schedule would weaken the main reason to leave.
Alex is a financial markets journalist and co-founder of Millennial Media Group, and he's spent close to ten years trying to answer one stubborn question: what's really driving this? It started in 2016, when Bitcoin refused to make sense to him - and rather than shrug, he stayed with it until it did. That patience became his method. He's less interested in what an asset is doing today than in the plumbing behind it: how liquidity flows, where risk hides, what a chart is quietly telling you that the headline isn't. That lens eventually stretched well past crypto into traditional markets, because the same forces - fear, leverage, incentives, timing - show up everywhere once you know how to look. Most coverage, in his view, insults the reader by stopping at the surface. Price up, price down, moving on. He'd rather leave someone genuinely understanding a move than merely informed that it happened. His path into markets ran through a Tourism degree at New Bulgarian University - proof, maybe, that curiosity beats credentials. With more than 200 deep analyses and over 10,000 articles behind him, he still walks away from most trading days having learned something he didn't know that morning.
Starknet StarkNet (STRK) holders have overwhelmingly backed a proposal to research transitioning from an Ethereum Layer 2 network into an independent, post-quantum Layer 1, according to an initial seven-day Snapshot poll which closed on Thursday morning.
More than 93.5% of the voting power supported the proposal, with over 2,800 wallets participating, according to StarkWare. The development company behind Starknet did not vote in the poll, leaving the decision to the community. Following the results, StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation will further research the potential transition. Still, STRK holders would have to vote again on any future proposal to actually move the network.
"We're beginning work on a whitepaper even before we start the weekend, and hope to release a draft for public scrutiny in November," StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson told The Block. "Starknet's community has chosen to lead on the biggest security challenge crypto has ever faced. AI agents are accelerating the quantum threat in ways many don't realise. The race is on."
Starknet is built on hash-based cryptography, and its accounts can adopt post-quantum signatures without changes to the protocol. Still, it inherits its security from Ethereum, so it is only as quantum-safe as the underlying blockchain, the team explained.
"Ethereum's target of 2029 to become quantum-safe is too late, and deadlines slip. Ask anyone who waited for the Merge," Ben-Sasson added. He has set a 2027 target for Starknet to become quantum-safe, although no date has been agreed for a potential transition to Layer 1.
Quantum security and Ethereum dependencies Ben-Sasson first floated the Layer 1 idea on Oct. 8, and the seven-day community poll opened on Oct. 15. The issue centers on Starknet's continued use of Ethereum for its bridge and data availability, as those parts cannot become quantum-safe independently of Ethereum, according to the proposal. StarkWare previously set out a three-phase post-quantum roadmap in June.
Regardless of the path chosen by the Starknet community, STRK will remain its native token, no new token will be introduced, and Ethereum bridges to Starknet will remain open, according to the Starknet Foundation.
StarkWare announced that the Starknet community has completed a non-binding Snapshot vote on whether to explore building Starknet into an independent, quantum-resistant Layer 1 (L1). The vote ran from October 15 to 22, open to STRK stakers and delegators, with 93.52% of the 3,236 total votes in favor. StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation have launched a working group to conduct research and draft a whitepaper and detailed proposal based on the results. The company stressed that the vote only gauges the community’s interest in becoming an L1, and any formal decision will still require subsequent governance processes. As an Ethereum Layer 2 (L2), Starknet relies on Ethereum for core functions including cross-chain bridges and data availability. These components use elliptic curve cryptography vulnerable to quantum computing, so full quantum resistance progress is constrained by Ethereum’s roughly 2029 timeline. However, controllable elements are advancing faster: STARK proofs depend on quantum-resistant hashing, and native account abstraction enables accounts to adopt quantum-resistant signatures without protocol upgrades. An independent L1 status would free Starknet from Ethereum’s migration pace. The working group’s first key deliverable is a whitepaper, expected to be released in the coming weeks, followed by a detailed proposal for further community voting. Its Quantum Hub roadmap targets full quantum security by 2027.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.
Starknet’s community has voted to support research into becoming an independent, post-quantum layer-1 blockchain.
The network’s potential departure from Ethereum gained overwhelming support. The governance vote that ran for seven days closed on Thursday. The poll drew about 3,200 votes, with 93.52% of voting power in favor of the transition.
The non-binding poll recorded the highest participation in Starknet’s governance history, according to StarkWare, which said it abstained from voting to leave the decision to the community.
The outcome allows StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation to proceed with research into an independent L1. The actual shift itself would require a separate, binding governance vote. For now, Starknet will continue operating as an Ethereum layer-2 network.
“We’re beginning work on a whitepaper even before we start the weekend, and hope to release a draft for public scrutiny in November,” StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson told Cointelegraph.
Starknet outlines next steps for post-quantum L1 researchStarkWare and the Starknet Foundation have established a working group to examine the proposed transition and develop more detailed technical proposals.
The governance proposal states that STRK will remain the network’s native token, with no new token planned, while existing bridges between Starknet and Ethereum will remain open.
StarkWare first raised the potential transition on Oct. 8, citing concerns about the network’s dependence on Ethereum for security. Although Starknet uses hash-based STARK proofs and supports programmable accounts capable of adopting post-quantum signatures, its bridge and data availability infrastructure remain dependent on Ethereum’s upgrade timeline.
In June, StarkWare unveiled a three-phase quantum-resistance roadmap covering cryptographic upgrades, smart-contract migration and Ethereum-dependent infrastructure.
StarkWare’s Quantum Hub says it has already tested technology designed to withstand future quantum attacks, successfully processing a transaction on Starknet’s live network. However, the technology remains experimental and has not yet undergone a security audit.
Ben-Sasson has set a 2027 target for making Starknet quantum-resistant, ahead of Ethereum’s projected timeline.
“Ethereum’s target of 2029 to become quantum-safe is too late, and deadlines slip,” he said.
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Starknet’s community has voted to support research into becoming an independent, post-quantum layer-1 blockchain.
The network’s potential departure from Ethereum gained overwhelming support. The governance vote that ran for seven days closed on Thursday. The poll drew about 3,200 votes, with 93.52% of voting power in favor of the transition.
The non-binding poll recorded the highest participation in Starknet’s governance history, according to StarkWare, which said it abstained from voting to leave the decision to the community.
The outcome allows StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation to proceed with research into an independent L1. The actual shift itself would require a separate, binding governance vote. For now, Starknet will continue operating as an Ethereum layer-2 network.
“We’re beginning work on a whitepaper even before we start the weekend, and hope to release a draft for public scrutiny in November,” StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson told Cointelegraph.
Starknet outlines next steps for post-quantum L1 researchStarkWare and the Starknet Foundation have established a working group to examine the proposed transition and develop more detailed technical proposals.
The governance proposal states that STRK will remain the network’s native token, with no new token planned, while existing bridges between Starknet and Ethereum will remain open.
StarkWare first raised the potential transition on Oct. 8, citing concerns about the network’s dependence on Ethereum for security. Although Starknet uses hash-based STARK proofs and supports programmable accounts capable of adopting post-quantum signatures, its bridge and data availability infrastructure remain dependent on Ethereum’s upgrade timeline.
In June, StarkWare unveiled a three-phase quantum-resistance roadmap covering cryptographic upgrades, smart-contract migration and Ethereum-dependent infrastructure.
StarkWare’s Quantum Hub says it has already tested technology designed to withstand future quantum attacks, successfully processing a transaction on Starknet’s live network. However, the technology remains experimental and has not yet undergone a security audit.
Ben-Sasson has set a 2027 target for making Starknet quantum-resistant, ahead of Ethereum’s projected timeline.
“Ethereum’s target of 2029 to become quantum-safe is too late, and deadlines slip,” he said.
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Starknet’s community has given strong backing to the idea of transforming the network into an independent, post-quantum layer-1 blockchain. In a recent governance vote that lasted seven days and concluded Thursday, around 3,200 members participated, with 93.52% of the voting power supporting the proposal to move away from Ethereum.
According to StarkWare, this non-binding poll resulted in the highest participation ever recorded for Starknet governance. The company emphasized that it did not cast a vote, stating that the decision was left fully to the community.
The approved proposal enables both StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation to begin formal research into becoming an independent L1 network. However, any actual transition would first require a separate binding governance vote. Until then, Starknet will continue to operate as an Ethereum layer-2 solution.
StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson commented, “We’re beginning work on a whitepaper even before we start the weekend, and hope to release a draft for public scrutiny in November.”
The governance proposal also notes that STRK will stay as the native token, and there are no current plans to introduce another token. Existing bridges connecting Starknet with Ethereum are set to remain active during this process.
Roadmap for post-quantum transitionStarkWare and the Starknet Foundation have set up a working group to explore the technical and security challenges of moving to a post-quantum L1 structure. This group is tasked with developing more comprehensive technical proposals for the network’s evolution.
StarkWare initially introduced the concept of transitioning to an L1 on October 8, expressing concerns over Starknet’s reliance on Ethereum for security functions. Despite utilizing STARK proofs and supporting accounts that could adopt post-quantum cryptographic signatures, the current system’s bridge and data infrastructure still depend on Ethereum’s upgrade cycle.
In June, the company presented a three-phase roadmap aimed at quantum resistance. This plan covers cryptographic system updates, migration for smart contracts, and adjustments to Ethereum-linked network infrastructure.
StarkWare’s Quantum Hub reported testing new technologies designed to resist future quantum computing threats, including the processing of live transactions on Starknet’s mainnet. However, the team noted that the technology remains in an experimental stage and has yet to undergo official security audits.
Ben-Sasson has identified 2027 as the target year for making Starknet quantum-resistant. He highlighted that this is earlier than Ethereum’s expected quantum-safe upgrade, which is scheduled for 2029.
According to Ben-Sasson, “Ethereum’s target of 2029 to become quantum-safe is too late, and deadlines slip.”
Tools for tracking rapid blockchain developmentsAs the digital asset landscape moves quickly—where a Federal Reserve decision or an altcoin listing can spark immediate change—investors face increasing costs by juggling multiple apps for news, charting, and portfolio tracking. Many traders have adopted privacy-first tools like CryptoAppsy to consolidate their monitoring. These platforms allow users to access real-time charts, custom price alerts, coin-specific news, and macroeconomic data on one unified screen—without requiring account creation.
Starknet’s community has backed research into an independent, quantum-resistant layer-1 blockchain, with 93.52% of voting power supporting the proposal following a seven-day governance vote.
Summary
Starknet’s seven-day governance vote closed October 22 with 93.52% of voting power supporting research into an independent layer-1 blockchain. Approximately 3,200 votes were recorded in the non-binding poll, which did not authorize leaving Ethereum. StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation will examine an independent, quantum-resistant network before another governance decision. STRK will remain the native token, with no replacement planned, while existing Ethereum bridges are expected to remain open. StarkWare plans to publish a draft whitepaper in November, outlining the technical questions surrounding a possible transition. According to the official governance proposal, the non-binding poll closed on October 22 after attracting approximately 3,200 votes, giving StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation community support to investigate the proposed transition without authorizing a departure from Ethereum.
The result represents the first formal community response to StarkWare’s October 8 proposal to examine whether Starknet should operate as a standalone blockchain.
StarkWare said the vote recorded the highest participation in the network’s governance history. The company abstained from voting, leaving STRK holders and participating delegates to determine whether the research should proceed.
The poll offered three choices: support further research, oppose it or remain neutral pending additional information. Approval allows developers to prepare technical proposals for future consideration.
As crypto.news reported when voting opened, the original ballot explicitly distinguished support for research from approval of an actual migration.
Starknet continues to operate as an Ethereum layer-2 network, using its own transaction-processing infrastructure while relying on Ethereum for settlement and data availability.
Any decision to establish a standalone network would require another governance process. The proposal contains no binding migration timetable, final architecture or instruction for users to transfer their assets.
Ethereum dependencies drive the post-quantum proposal Security concerns prompted StarkWare to explore a different network structure. Although Starknet already uses hash-based STARK proofs, other components still depend on cryptographic systems maintained by Ethereum.
In its post-quantum security roadmap, StarkWare identified Ethereum’s bridge messaging infrastructure and blob-based data availability as two remaining dependencies.
Ethereum uses KZG commitments for blob data, while some bridge-related functions rely on elliptic-curve cryptography. StarkWare considers those systems vulnerable to sufficiently powerful future quantum computers.
An independent blockchain could give Starknet greater control over its security upgrades, removing the need to follow Ethereum’s timetable for certain components.
However, independence would introduce other requirements. Starknet would need to establish how validators secure consensus, maintain data availability and protect transactions without relying on Ethereum’s existing infrastructure.
Community discussion has raised questions about validator responsibilities, censorship resistance and the economic security provided by staked STRK. No complete replacement security model has been published.
StarkWare prepares November whitepaper on potential transition Following the favorable vote, StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation have established a working group to evaluate the technical and operational requirements of an independent blockchain.
A draft whitepaper is planned for November, providing an opportunity to examine the proposed architecture before any binding decision.
The governance forum discussion confirms that STRK would remain the network’s native cryptocurrency under either arrangement. The proposal does not call for a replacement token.
Existing bridges connecting Starknet and Ethereum are expected to remain available, although the team has not published detailed procedures for maintaining those connections under a standalone architecture.
StarkWare has set a 2027 target for making Starknet quantum-resistant. Its existing roadmap divides the work into three phases covering new activity, legacy smart contracts and Ethereum-dependent infrastructure.
The first phase replaces certain Pedersen hashing components with BLAKE2-based alternatives. The second addresses storage and migration requirements for existing contracts.
The third phase focuses on infrastructure that currently depends on Ethereum’s cryptographic upgrades, including bridge messaging and data availability.
Starknet’s quantum security work continues on Ethereum The proposed independence research follows several developments in StarkWare’s existing security program.
In August, StarkWare demonstrated quantum-safe Bitcoin transactions on the Bitcoin mainnet, with further review and improvements still required before broader implementation.
Starknet has separately introduced privacy features for DeFi, including Shadow Accounts, which allow supported applications to use addresses that are not publicly linked to users’ primary wallets.
Those tools operate within the current layer-2 network and are not conditional on an independent blockchain proposal.
StarkWare’s quantum research program has demonstrated post-quantum account technology on Starknet’s live network, although the experimental implementation has not completed a security audit.
Meanwhile, STRK traded near $0.055 at press time, down 1.24% over 24 hours and 32.46% over seven days, with approximately $162.5 million in daily trading volume.
Starknet (STRK) price chart, source: crypto.news Its reported circulating supply stood near 7.6 billion tokens, giving the asset a market capitalization of approximately $414.3 million.
Starknet token holders have handed the network’s builders a deliberately narrow mandate. A seven-day governance vote closed on October 22 with 93.52% of voting power in favor of researching whether Starknet should become an independent, quantum-resistant layer-1 blockchain instead of remaining a layer 2 settled on Ethereum. Roughly 3,200 votes were cast in the non-binding poll, which StarkWare said drew the highest participation in the network’s governance history. The result, recorded in a proposal on the Starknet community forum, authorizes study — not departure: Starknet keeps operating as an Ethereum layer 2, STRK remains its token, and the bridges between the two chains stay open.
A Research Mandate, Not a Migration Authorization
The ballot was written to constrain what a “yes” means. Voters could support further research, oppose it, or remain neutral pending more information. StarkWare, which first floated the idea on October 8, abstained from voting, leaving the decision to STRK holders and their delegates. StarkWare and the Starknet Foundation will now examine an independent, quantum-resistant network design before any second governance decision is put to a vote.
That sequencing matters, because the Snapshot ballot is explicitly non-binding. The forum post states that the poll “seeks to gauge STRK holders’ interest in exploring that direction further,” and maps out the branches: a “yes” starts a research effort leading to more detailed proposals; a “no” keeps post-quantum work on the layer-2 path; a “neutral” leaves the thread open. Nothing in the result moves a single asset or changes a validator’s duties today.
The Security Logic: What Starknet Controls and What It Does Not
The case for independence is a timeline problem, not an identity one. Starknet already runs on hash-based STARK proofs and native account abstraction, so the components under Starknet’s own control can be made quantum-resistant on Starknet’s schedule. The components that depend on Ethereum cannot.
As the proposal’s author framed it in the forum: “The parts of Starknet under Starknet’s control can be quantum-resistant soon. The parts that depend on Ethereum, such as the bridge and data availability, are tied to Ethereum’s timeline. An independent L1 removes that dependency.”
StarkWare’s quantum-readiness roadmap names two remaining dependencies: Ethereum’s bridge-messaging infrastructure and its blob-based data availability, which relies on KZG commitments and elliptic-curve cryptography. StarkWare considers both vulnerable to a sufficiently powerful future quantum computer. Ethereum’s own deposit contract is already the subject of a post-quantum rewrite discussion, but that process advances on Ethereum’s timeline, not Starknet’s.
The asymmetry behind all of this is cryptographic. STARK proofs are built on hash functions rather than the discrete-logarithm and elliptic-curve assumptions that underpin most blockchain signatures and commitments. A sufficiently powerful quantum computer running Shor’s algorithm could break the latter; it cannot brute-force a well-chosen hash. That is why Starknet’s core can claim quantum safety today, while Ethereum’s KZG commitments — a form of elliptic-curve pairing cryptography used to verify blob data — and its bridge signatures cannot. For a holder or an issuer watching the roadmap, the distinction between “already quantum-safe” and “waiting on Ethereum” is the entire argument for a standalone chain.
Validators Push Back: A Transfer of Dependency, Not a Gain in Decentralization
Not everyone in the community reads the move as progress. One validator, posting as ceri1, argued that becoming a layer 1 would not make Starknet more decentralized — only more responsible for its own security.
“Becoming an L1 does not decentralize Starknet. It drops Ethereum’s security budget and asks the current STRK set to replace it,” they wrote, noting that staking is still in phase 2 of 4, that validators stake 20,000 STRK and attest with a full node, and that reorg and censorship resistance still come from Ethereum. “Until those answers are public, this is a transfer of dependency, not a gain in decentralization.”
The critique names the real risk in any layer-1 migration: the validator set that today relies on Ethereum for finality would, after a migration, have to carry block production, finality, and data availability on its own. At current prices, the 20,000 STRK minimum stake is worth about $1,120 (20,000 × $0.056 per CoinMarketCap) — a modest bond against a materially larger security load. Starknet’s roughly 7.2 billion circulating STRK implies a market capitalization near $400 million, a fraction of the security budget Ethereum currently extends to it.
No New Token, and the Bridges Stay Open
Whatever the eventual architecture, the vote fixes the questions holders tend to ask first. The proposal is explicit: “Whatever the path, STRK is the token, with no new token. Bridges from Ethereum to Starknet will stay open.”
For operators, that stability is the reason to pursue the research now. Mon, from the Cumulo validator team, which runs a Starknet validator on mainnet and Sepolia and voted yes, wrote: “We think this is the right moment to explore this path. Starknet starts with a clear advantage thanks to STARK proofs and native account abstraction, and understanding what it would mean to reduce its dependency on Ethereum is a conversation worth having carefully and with real data.”
The post-quantum framing also shaped the outcome. As one community member put it: “If we have a competitive advantage in this area, I believe we have a responsibility to explore it, especially given the quantum threat facing the broader blockchain ecosystem.”
November Whitepaper and the Next Governance Gate
The next concrete deliverable is a draft whitepaper, which StarkWare has said it plans to publish in November. That document will set out the technical questions a migration would have to answer — consensus design, data availability, bridge and liquidity risk during any transition — and there is no binding timetable or instruction for users to move assets. A final decision to operate as a standalone network would require another governance vote.
The outcome also lands amid a broader industry move toward post-quantum standards, including a nine-firm Quantum Alliance formed to set shared post-quantum baselines. Starknet’s vote does not commit it to that path; it commits it to producing a design its community can judge.
What the Vote Changes — and What It Does Not
In the near term, Starknet remains what it is today: an Ethereum layer 2 using STARK proofs, with STRK as its token and its bridges to Ethereum open. The vote converts a proposal into a research question with a defined next step. The limitation is equally clear: a research mandate is not evidence that the STRK validator set can yet carry the full security load of a standalone chain, and the November document will test exactly that.
STRK traded near $0.056 on October 22, roughly 98% below its February 2024 peak, according to CoinMarketCap. The token has labored under a steady widening of its circulating supply since its 2024 airdrop, as monthly unlocks push the float toward a 10 billion total, and that supply overhang has weighed on price as much as any sentiment shift. The vote’s “no new token” pledge is therefore not a footnote — it removes the one outcome that could have diluted existing holders a second time.
For holders, validators, and the institutions watching, the next observable signal is not a launch but a whitepaper, and the next decision point after that is another vote. Starknet has chosen to study the exit before taking it — a procedural sequence that, in a sector prone to rushed migrations, is itself the headline.
Extended, a decentralized perpetuals exchange, is packing up its settlement layer and moving from Starknet to Arc, the Layer 1 blockchain developed by Circle. The migration is scheduled to begin on October 22, 2026, at 13:00 UTC.
What changes, and what doesn’t
Extended says trading will run without interruption throughout the migration. Deposits and withdrawals will pause for up to two hours while the move takes place.
For most users, no action is required. The exchange expects the majority of participants to wake up on the other side of the migration with balances intact and positions untouched.
USDT and wBTC will not be supported on Arc. Users holding either asset have two options before the October 21, 2026, deadline. They can convert USDT into USDC and wBTC into cirBTC at a 1:1 ratio, or they can withdraw. The conversion terms also include a 0.50% premium. Traders holding meaningful USDT or wBTC balances should check exactly how that premium applies to their holdings before the cutoff.
ETH holders get the easy version. Their balances will be automatically converted to wETH at a 1:1 ratio, with no paperwork required.
Why Arc, and why now
Arc is Circle’s own blockchain, and its mainnet launched on September 16, 2026, with a founding validator set that includes BlackRock and Visa.
Extended’s stated goals for the move include faster performance through sub-second finality and stablecoin-denominated transaction fees. Extended has framed the migration as a way to build deeper connections with institutional investors, and predictable fees are part of that appeal.
USDC is Circle’s flagship stablecoin, so shifting stablecoin balances from USDT to USDC aligns the exchange with its new host chain’s native ecosystem.
The scale of the move
Extended holds approximately $117.7 million in total value locked, most of it on Starknet. Moving a nine-figure pool from one settlement layer to another, while keeping the order book live, is a meaningful operational test.
What this means for traders and the broader market
For Extended’s users, the near-term to-do list is short but non-negotiable. Anyone holding USDT or wBTC needs to convert or withdraw by October 21, 2026, and should plan around the two-hour deposit and withdrawal pause starting October 22 at 13:00 UTC.
For Arc, landing an established perpetuals exchange within weeks of mainnet is a useful early signal. A derivatives venue bringing approximately $117.7 million in TVL gives Arc a working, high-throughput use case to point to.
There is also a concentration question. Moving onto a chain built by a single stablecoin issuer, with USDC as the default dollar asset, ties Extended more closely to Circle’s ecosystem.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Aethir announces major ATH tokenomics update: Daily burn mechanism to launch in November, with burn amount directly linked to the network’s actual revenue.
Aethir today announced a major adjustment to its ATH token economic mechanism. Starting November 2026, the platform will burn a portion of daily network fees in ATH tokens, sending the burned tokens permanently to the public burn address 0x000...dEaD, with the burn volume fluctuating based on actual network computing power usage. Concurrently, fixed platform fees will be replaced with variable network fees, with rates calculated in real time via TWAP to reflect market conditions: rates drop and burn ratios rise during weak market periods. The Cloud Host emission schedule remains unaffected, with fees capped at a level that never exceeds the value of Host rewards. A burn dashboard will launch alongside the first burn, and the mechanism has passed CertiK’s audit.
6 minutes ago
Meta Muse Exposes Privacy Vulnerability: Over 6,800 Chat Links Found via Search, Corporate Secrets Also Exposed
Beating AI Express: US cybersecurity firm Claroc has discovered that chat share links for Meta’s personal AI agent Muse can be bulk-retrieved by strangers. Researchers found over 6,800 share links after a single query to a DNS history database. After sampling hundreds of links, dozens of sensitive documents were uncovered, including internal corporate revenue reports, small business loan applications, and preparation materials for a candidate’s secret recruitment communication with a leading AI lab—even internal contacts and meeting times were exposed. When users share chats via Muse, the system generates a viewable webpage requiring no login, embedding the chat title and a random ID into the domain. Once someone opens the page, the full domain may be logged by third-party DNS services. Claroc directly searched these historical records to obtain share addresses that would otherwise be hard to guess. While Muse requests search engines not to crawl these pages, it cannot prevent domains from being logged by other services. Claroc reported the vulnerability to Meta as early as October 8 and published its research on October 18. It was not until October 20, after US tech media Ars Technica intervened to inquire, that Meta confirmed it had suspended the chat sharing feature. On the same day, Claroc rechecked 40 links that had previously been accessible without login and found they were all invalid, though the chat titles remained in DNS history records. Last month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had claimed that Muse was a product “designed from the ground up for privacy and security.”
6 minutes ago
Predict.fun token is likely to launch on Aster’s pre-market at 8 PM tonight, offering up to 5x leverage.
According to information on the Aster platform, Predict.fun’s token PREDICT is now available in the trading list, with a maximum leverage of 5x. Per the platform’s prompts, the relevant trading is set to officially launch at 8 PM tonight.
6 minutes ago
Binance will delist PTBUSDT and MITOUSDT USDT-margined perpetual contracts.
Per an official announcement, Binance will delist the PTBUSDT and MITOUSDT U-margined perpetual contract trading pairs at 17:00 (UTC+8 time) on October 23, following the completion of their automatic liquidation.
6 minutes ago
Aethir Announces Major ATH Tokenomics Update: Daily Burn Mechanism to Launch in November, Burn Amount Directly Linked to Network’s Real Revenue.
Aethir today announced major adjustments to its ATH token economic mechanism. Starting November 2026, the platform will daily allocate a portion of network fees to burn ATH tokens, permanently sending the burned tokens to the public burn address (0x000...dEaD). The burn volume will fluctuate based on the network’s actual computing power usage. Meanwhile, fixed platform fees will be replaced with variable network fees, with rates adjusted in real time via TWAP (Time-Weighted Average Price) to reflect market conditions: rates will decrease during weak markets, while the burn proportion will rise. The Cloud Host emission schedule remains unaffected; fees are capped and will never exceed the value of Host rewards. A burn dashboard will launch alongside the first burn, and the mechanism has passed CertiK’s audit.
6 minutes ago
Bitget Launchpool is set to list AXIS, with users locking BGB and AXIS to unlock 1.33 million AXIS tokens.
Bitget Launchpool is set to list Axis Robotics (AXIS), with a total prize pool of 1,333,333 AXIS. The lock-up period will be open from 21:00 UTC+8 on October 21 to 21:00 UTC+8 on October 28. This round of Launchpool offers two lock-up pools, with details as follows: BGB Lock-Up Pool: Total airdrop allocation: 1,133,333 AXIS; VIP user lock-up cap: 50,000 BGB; Regular user lock-up cap: 5,000 BGB. AXIS Lock-Up Pool: Total airdrop allocation: 200,000 AXIS; Individual lock-up cap: 3,333,333 AXIS.
The Starknet Foundation has launched Bramble, a self-custodial wallet built for swapping, storing, and shielding crypto on Starknet. The release went live on October 20, 2026.
What Bramble actually does
Bramble is a self-custody wallet. That means users hold their own keys, rather than trusting an exchange or third party to hold them.
The headline feature is support for STRK20, Starknet’s privacy framework. STRK20 lets users maintain private balances on the network.
Bramble also plugs directly into Starknet’s on-chain privacy tools. Users can shield public tokens and send private transfers from inside the wallet.
Beyond privacy, the wallet supports Ledger hardware wallets. Hardware wallets keep private keys on a physical device, so signing a transaction requires the device itself.
Bramble also supports multisig accounts. A multisig account requires approval from more than one key before funds can move.
The self-custody controls go further. Bramble offers encrypted local vaults and spending allowances.
The road to launch
Hints about the wallet circulated as early as mid-September 2026. A beta version was available from October 12, 2026. The wallet was then publicly teased on October 19, a day before the official launch.
Bramble ships as a Chrome extension. The current listed version is 0.10.5, following a minor update on October 8, 2026.
Where STRK fits in
Starknet’s STRK token serves as the network’s fee, staking, and governance asset. Every transaction a Bramble user sends on Starknet runs on that infrastructure.
So far, there has been no immediate commentary from independent experts and no observed market reaction.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Kaye Quema. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Extended says holders of more than $1 of USDT or wBTC in a sub-account must convert or withdraw to avoid forced closures, but its notices give conflicting deadlines.
Extended says holders of more than $1 of USDT or wBTC in a sub-account must convert or withdraw to avoid forced closures, but its notices give conflicting deadlines.
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In BriefStarknet (STRK): Trading at $0.0572 after falling more than half from its October high near $0.125, the token faces a key test at the blue moving average near $0.053.
Filecoin (FIL): Trading at $1.0146 after several red daily candles, the token is defending the $0.995 to $1.00 area within a still-intact uptrend.
Midnight (NIGHT): Trading at $0.0394 after a pullback from its $0.053 high, the token sits on the short green moving average near $0.0397 as the larger trend stays up.
HOT Stories
Near Protocol (NEAR): Trading at $4.908, the token is moving sideways between $4.60 and $5.40 while buyers keep defending support near $4.75.
Starknet (STRK) Sharp Drop After the October PeakStarknet (STRK) is trading at $0.0572 after a tough pullback. The token spent most of September close to $0.03, after which it started to climb. In October it exploded, reaching a top close to $0.125 around October 11. That was more than a fourfold gain from the September lows.
STRK/USDT Chart by TradingViewThe drop since then has been swift. STRK has posted several red daily candles in a row and has lost more than half of its peak value. Sellers took control right after the high, and every bounce has been weaker than the one before. The price has also fallen below the short green moving average, which now acts as resistance close to $0.063.
The next key area is the blue moving average close to $0.053. This level is near the current price, so a test of it seems likely. If it holds, STRK could stabilize and form a base.
If it breaks, the next supports sit near the black line around $0.046 and the orange line close to $0.044. These lines are rising, which means buyers have been in control of the larger trend.
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The RSI has cooled down from overbought levels above 80 and is now close to 48. This is a neutral reading. It suggests the heat from the rally is gone, but it does not yet show an oversold bounce.
For bulls, the primary goal is to defend $0.053 and then reclaim $0.063. A close above that would show that selling pressure is fading. For bears, a daily close below $0.053 would open the way to $0.046.
The trend is still positive on the bigger view, but the short-term move is down. After such a big rally, a deeper retest of the old breakout area close to $0.05 would be ordinary and would not break the larger structure.
Filecoin (FIL) Price Slips Filecoin (FIL) is trading at $1.0146 after several red daily candles. The token has been in an uptrend since early September, when it traded close to $0.65. It climbed gradually and reached a high close to $1.27 in mid-October. Since that top, FIL has formed lower highs and has dropped back towards the center of its recent range.
FIL/USDT Chart by TradingViewThe price has fallen below the short green moving average close to $1.06, which now blocks any brief recovery. Sellers have pushed the price down for approximately a week. The most important level now is the blue moving average close to $0.995. FIL touched this area on the most recent drop and bounced slightly, so buyers are trying to defend it.
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The $1.00 mark also works as a round number that many traders watch. A daily close below it would be a clear warning sign. If $1.00 fails, the next supports are the black line close to $0.96 and the orange line close to $0.92. These averages are rising, which keeps the larger trend positive. The area between $0.92 and $0.96 would be a strong zone for buyers to step in.
The RSI is close to 49, a neutral reading. It has dropped from higher levels but is not oversold. This means the price still has room to fall before a strong bounce signal appears.
For bulls, the plan is simple: hold $1.00 and then reclaim $1.06. A move back above that level would open the way to $1.15 and a new test of the $1.27 high. For bears, a clean break below $0.995 would shift focus to $0.96. FIL is still in a healthy uptrend, but momentum has turned down for now. The next couple of daily closes around $1.00 will show which side has control.
Midnight (NIGHT): Pullback Tests the Bulls' PatienceMidnight (NIGHT) is trading at $0.0394 after several red daily candles in a row. The token spent most of September between $0.020 and $0.026, then broke out hard at the end of the month. The rally pushed the price to a high close to $0.053 in early October, a gain of more than 100% from the lows.
NIGHT/USDT Chart by TradingViewSince that peak, NIGHT has made lower highs and lower lows. Buyers tried to push the price back up on October 10, but the move failed close to $0.050. Sellers have been in control for approximately a week, and the price has now fallen to the short green moving average close to $0.0397. The current candle sits right on this line, so it is a key test.
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If the green line breaks, the next support is the blue moving average close to $0.0347. Below that, the black line close to $0.0332 and the orange line close to $0.0312 form a strong support zone. All of these averages are rising, which suggests the larger trend is still up.
Volume tells an important story. It was very high during the breakout and has dropped considerably during the pullback. Low volume on a drop often means sellers are not very aggressive. The RSI has cooled from overbought levels and now sits close to 45, a neutral reading.
For bulls, the plan is to hold $0.039 and reclaim $0.042. A move above that would open the way to $0.046 and a new test of $0.050. For bears, a daily close below $0.0390 would shift focus to $0.0347. The short-term move is down, but the larger structure is still healthy. A retest of the blue average would be normal after such a sharp rally.
Near Protocol (NEAR) is Sideways Between $4.60 and $5.40Near Protocol (NEAR) is trading at $4.908 after a quiet few days. The token climbed from approximately $1.80 in early September to above $5.50 by the end of the month. In October, it reached a high close to $6.00 on October 11, but sellers pushed the price back down quickly. Since then, NEAR has moved sideways between $4.60 and $5.40.
NEAR/USDT Chart by TradingViewThe price keeps finding buyers close to the short green moving average, which sits near $4.75. The current candle once again bounced off this area, which suggests demand is still present. The $5.00 mark is the closest resistance and acts as a pivot for the next move.
If the green line fails, the next support is the blue moving average close to $4.15. Below that, the cyan line close to $3.95 and the orange line close to $3.35 provide more room for a deeper pullback. The black line close to $2.70 shows how far the trend has run. All of these averages point up, which keeps the larger picture positive.
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Volume has been falling during this pause. This often means the market is waiting for a clear direction. The RSI is close to 47, a neutral reading, so neither buyers nor sellers have a strong edge in momentum.
For bulls, the goal is to hold $4.75 and break above $5.40. A close above that level would open the way to $6.00 again. For bears, a daily close below $4.75 would point to $4.15 as the next target. NEAR remains in a healthy uptrend and is moving sideways, not breaking down. A decisive move out of the $4.75 to $5.40 range will likely set the direction for the coming days.
Starknet’s STRK token has fallen about 38% over the past seven days, sharply underperforming Bitcoin and Ether as a rally driven by talk of an independent Layer 1 unwinds, The Defiant reported on October 19.
The decline comes as a community vote on whether Starknet should research leaving Ethereum to become a post-quantum Layer 1 remains open until October 22. STRK still holds a positive 28-day return despite the pullback.
Starknet’s DeFi total value locked fell 5.3% over the same period, a smaller drop than the token’s.
Rally peaked after Layer 1 announcement
STRK hit an intraday high of $0.1265 on October 11, its highest level since early December, according to AltcoinBuzz. The move followed StarkWare’s October 8 statement that it was actively considering turning Starknet into an independent network. Even at its peak, the token traded more than 97% below its February 2024 all-time high of $4.41.
Supply pressure arrived during the correction. A scheduled unlock released 127 million STRK to early contributors and investors on October 15, worth about $11 million at the time, according to Tokenomist data. Unlocks of up to 127 million STRK per month continue through March 2027.
Non-binding vote on a post-quantum future
The seven-day Snapshot poll, which opened on October 15, asks STRK stakers and delegators whether Starknet should explore becoming an independent Layer 1 focused on post-quantum security, The Crypto Times reported. The vote is non-binding. A “Yes” result would trigger a research effort and more detailed proposals, while “No” would keep post-quantum work on the current Ethereum Layer 2 path.
“Starknet becoming an independent L1 is our clearest path forward,” StarkWare said. The company argues that Starknet’s hash-based STARK proofs and native account abstraction position it for quantum resistance, but that its reliance on Ethereum for bridging and data availability ties it to Ethereum’s timeline, which targets full Layer 1 quantum resistance by the end of 2029.
StarkWare has said Starknet could reach full quantum resistance by 2027 if it controlled those components itself. STRK would remain the network’s token, and bridges from Ethereum would stay open under the proposal.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
HEX erases $246 million in market cap after founder detained in TurkeyThe HEX market cap fell from $561 million to $315 million this week after founder Richard Schueler — better known to the crypto community as Richard Heart — was detained by authorities in Istanbul on October 14.
Police seized $7.15 million in cash along with firearms and ammunition during an early morning raid in Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district, alongside searches of 15 related addresses according to Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek.
Police impounded nine luxury vehicles registered to Schueler’s wife according to news agency Anadolu. The haul reportedly included 28 watches, 300 bags and 19 graphics cards.
Interpol issued a “Red Notice” for Schueler’s two years ago over allegations of tax fraud and assault, after Finnish authorities sought his arrest.
A spokesperson for Finland’s National Bureau of Investigations declined to comment on the matter.
Turkish media refer to Schueler as “Whale James” and have linked him to a $1 billion unregistered securities offering in the US. However that case was dismissed by a US judge in February 2025.
Images circulating in Turkish media appear to show a surprised Heart with no trousers on, and the bottom half of his body blurred out, provoking much merriment on social media. Vocal Hex critic Eric Wall, who has debated Schueler on video and social media, said he initially thought the image was AI generated but now believes it is real. (Cointelegraph can only verify the image is circulating not that it has not been altered.)
“i’m pretty much certain i died in a plane crash in 2015 and ever since that day i am still only alive in a fringe reality where everything is designed to be as funny as possible.”Hex supporters claim that authorities are yet to confirm if Schueler has been formally arrested or charged.
Images circulating on Turkish media.
Ledger’s answer to wallet tampering costs $849 and ships next yearLedger unveiled a new device on Thursday with stronger protections against tampering, days after confirming that wallets sold through a reseller in Asia contained malicious implants.
The French hardware wallet maker introduced Atom, an $849 device that combines a crypto wallet with everyday apps through a smartphone-like design. Atom separates Android apps from sensitive wallet operations and includes protections Ledger says would block the implants used in the recent Asia incident. It claims to detect tampering even when switched off.
Expected to become available in summer 2027, Atom will also support AI agent approvals, encrypted messaging and post-quantum cryptography.
Meanwhile a war of words has broken out between former Mt Gox CEO Mark Karpeles, and Ledger CEO Pascal Gauthier. Kapeles claims that at least two people notified Leger of spyware discovered inside tampered Ledgers as far back as December 2025 — and notes the company had even written about the issue on its website in March 2026. He says the company failed to act properly to secure its reseller supply chains, which have now been suspended across Asia after more than $90 million was stolen.
Gauthier snarkily replied on X that Karpeles was “no white knight” and referred back to his failures in the lead up to the Mt Gox hack.
Karpeles replied:
“I was hoping you guys were better than that. I’ve been holding Ledger at a higher standard than what happened at MtGox, because I trusted you to do better by learning of my failure — to be better than me.”Source: QDay gets even closer as Starknet votes on becoming post quantum L1Google has demonstrated a new process called “magic state cultivation” on its Willow quantum processor that reduces errors 40-fold. The technique achieved a record 99.99% accuracy rate for a specialized quantum state required to perform advanced calculations.
Meanwhile Theta Labs has posted three news quantum circuits that could reduce the number of qubits required to break elliptic curve cryptography by 28% from Google’s current estimate of 1,175 logical qubits.
With fears that AI is now getting so good at math that it may be able to break elliptic curve cryptography even before QDay arrives, Starknet has opened a vote to transform itself from an Ethereum L2 into a post quantum L1. StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson says that Ethereum’s post quantum roadmap may be too slow to meet the challenge from AI, meaning that Starknet needed to consider becoming a fully post quantum L1.
“Quantum-proofing crypto is urgent, so we must move at lightning speed,” he told Cointelegraph. More than 99% of votes cast to date are in favor of the move. Starknet’s token has lost almost 50% in value this week, after a big surge last week.
Standard Chartered pushes $2T stablecoin forecast to 2030 as EU embraces USDCStandard Chartered says stablecoin transaction activity continues to grow even as the market’s overall value has stalled, suggesting existing stablecoins are circulating more frequently rather than new supply driving growth.
The bank said it now expects stablecoin market capitalization to reach $2 trillion by 2030, two years later than initially projected, after the market plateaued at roughly $309 billion this year.
Meanwhile the European Banking Authority has classified Circle’s USDC stablecoin as a significant e-money token under the region’s Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) framework. The classification has only been granted to 45 projects.
Binance.US seeks $1B valuation in potential $100M funding roundBinance.US reportedly seeks to raise up to $100 million in a funding round that could value the cryptocurrency exchange at $1 billion.
According to a Thursday Bloomberg report, the US-based crypto exchange is pursuing private investment as it looks to expand its business. The potential $1 billion valuation would be well below the $4.5 billion pre-money valuation it secured in 2022, when it raised $200 million in seed funding.
Winners and LosersAt the end of the week, Bitcoin (BTC) is down 3.8% to trade at $81,484, Ethereum (ETH) is down 5.7% to trade at $2,386 and XRP (XRP) is down 8.3% to $1.28. The total market cap is at $2.72 trillion according to CoinMarketCap.
Among the biggest 100 cryptocurrencies, the top three altcoin winners of the week are Monero (XMR) with a 9.7% gain, Injective (INJ) on 5.6%, and Celestia (TIA) on 5.1%.
The top three altcoin losers of the week are Starknet (STRK) which was down 46.7%, Pump.fun (PUMP) down 27.1% and Raydium (RAY) down 26.5%.
Prediction of the WeekBitwise’s Hougan says Q3 charts point to ‘crypto spring’Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan says Q3 may have been “one of the best quarters in crypto’s history,” arguing a sharp rebound in crypto prices and growing onchain markets point to the start of “crypto spring.”
In its quarterly market review published Thursday, Bitwise reported a 46.4% quarterly gain in its large-cap crypto index, along with $6 billion in US spot Bitcoin ETF inflows that brought year-to-date net flows back into positive territory.
“Page after page after page, it’s all the same: The most recent part of the chart is turning sharply upwards,” Hougan wrote. “That’s exactly what you want to see if you’re looking for the start of a crypto spring.”
Top FUD of the WeekMSCI adopts index exclusion rules that could oust StrategyIndex provider MSCI has adopted new rules that could lead to Strategy, Metaplanet and Upexi being removed from its global indexes, while leaving several other crypto treasury companies facing potential exclusion.
In August, Strategy opposed the changes but also played down the potential disruption, saying funds tracking MSCI’s Global Investable Market Indexes hold approximately 13 million shares, representing 3.1% of its basic shares outstanding. The company said those holdings amount to less than one day’s trading volume.
Russia to ban direct peer-to-peer crypto trades starting July 2027Russia will ban direct peer-to-peer (P2P) cryptocurrency transactions between individuals starting next year, requiring individuals to use authorized intermediaries for such trades.
The regulator said the ban would come into place on July 1, 2027.
The regulator also clarified that individuals are not allowed to transfer crypto assets from their digital accounts to their own non-custodial, or self-custodial, wallets.
Ex-Trump crypto adviser profited after helping pass stablecoin bill: WSJBo Hines, previously a crypto adviser to US President Donald Trump who later joined stablecoin issuer Tether, reportedly kept a stake in a company that profited from the passage of a stablecoin bill when he was still at the White House.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Hines had a one-third stake in the investment company he co-founded, Nxum, while pushing US lawmakers to pass the GENIUS Act. Nxum reportedly received $6.3 million as part of a deal with stablecoin issuer Tether, with the first payment going through while Hines was still serving in government.
Cointelegraph publishes long-form journalism, analysis and narrative reporting produced by Cointelegraph’s in-house editorial team with subject-matter expertise. All articles are edited and reviewed by Cointelegraph editors in line with our editorial standards. Some articles contain affiliate links, from which Cointelegraph may earn a commission. These relationships do not influence which products we review or our editorial conclusions. Content published in here does not constitute financial, legal or investment advice. Readers should conduct their own research and consult qualified professionals where appropriate. Cointelegraph maintains full editorial independence.
The L1 narrative rally has turned into a steady correction Starknet’s governance poll on going independent failed to stop the selling Record weekly network revenue landed in the middle of the decline The 200 EMA zone decides whether the larger uptrend survives STRK price has dropped to $0.0624 at the time of writing, roughly 51% below the $0.1268 high it printed around Oct 11–12, after a rally that took the Starknet token nearly five times higher in under four weeks on the back of StarkWare’s plan to turn the network into an independent post-quantum layer 1. The token is down 43.7% over the past seven days and 12.8% in the last 24 hours, its market cap has shrunk to $472.3 million, and the slide has continued even while STRK holders vote on whether that L1 plan should move into a research phase.
A quantum pitch fuelled a 385% run STRK was trading near $0.026 in mid-September, well before anyone at StarkWare spoke publicly about leaving Ethereum. The real trigger came on Oct 8, when Starknet said it was actively considering becoming an L1, a move that would let it become the first fully quantum-resistant network with 2027 as the target. StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson put the idea to the community as an open question the same day, and two days later StarkWare said an independent L1 was its clearest path forward, which lines up with the tallest green candles and the heaviest volume of the entire run on the 4H chart.
We are actively considering becoming an L1.
This would enable Starknet to become the first fully quantum-resistant network, with 2027 as our target. https://t.co/yaFlkp0R1P
— Starknet (@Starknet) October 8, 2026
StarkWare’s case for the move comes down to dependency on Ethereum, and according to the Starknet Foundation, the parts of the network Starknet controls itself can become quantum-resistant soon, while its bridge and data availability layer move on Ethereum’s schedule, and Ethereum’s own post-quantum team is only targeting initial protocol-level protections by 2029. Traders liked that pitch enough to buy it long before any vote existed, and STRK added about 385% from its September base to the October top.
Oct 8 · Starknet says it is considering an L1 move
Oct 10 · StarkWare calls an independent L1 its clearest path
Oct 11–12 · STRK peaks at $0.1268
Oct 15 · Poll opens, spike to $0.098 gets rejected
Oct 22 · Voting closes and results go public
Sellers ignored a revenue record On Oct 17, data from Chainspect showed Starknet’s weekly revenue topping $90,000 for the first time at $92,824, a 5.2% weekly gain that would normally give bulls something to point at. STRK kept sliding through that day and into the weekend, a sign that traders who rode the near fivefold move were still locking in gains regardless of what the network itself was reporting.
💰 @Starknet moved past $90K in weekly revenue for the first time.
$92,824 over the past week.
Starknet's weekly number just got a lot more interesting.
Two days earlier the poll launch had drawn the same reaction, after Starknet opened itsseven-day, non-binding governance poll on Oct 15, asking stakers and delegators whether the network should research becoming an independent post-quantum L1, with a yes vote leading to research and more detailed proposals and a no vote keeping post-quantum work on the current layer 2 path. STRK shot up to about $0.098 that day on one of the largest volume bars since the peak, then got rejected just under the 0.236 Fibonacci level at $0.103 and closed back inside the range, a failed bounce that confirmed the lower-high sequence and turned what looked like consolidation into a corrective trend.
STRK/USDT 4H chart. Source: TradingView / Alexander Stefanov RSI near oversold, no divergence yet RSI reads 32.3 on the 4H timeframe, below its signal line at 38.4 and close to oversold territory, though it is still making lower lows together with price, so there is no bullish divergence to suggest the selling is ending. Volume on the way down has been noticeably lighter than during the rally, which looks more like orderly profit-taking than panic while also showing that buyers have yet to step in with any size.
On the price side, STRK has now lost the 0.618 retracement at $0.0646, the level traders usually treat as the last line for a strong uptrend, and it trades in the gap between that level and the 200 EMA at $0.0591. The 50 SMA at $0.0854 has started to roll over above price and now sits close to the 0.382 Fib at $0.0883, leaving that band as the ceiling bulls would eventually need to clear.
What’s next for STRK Price? Level From price Zone 50 SMA + 0.382 Fib
$0.085–$0.088 +36% Trend reclaim 0.5 Fib
$0.0764 +22% Upside target 0.618 Fib
$0.0646 +3.5% Reclaim test ● STRK NOW · $0.0624 200 EMA + 0.707 Fib
$0.0555–$0.0591 −5% to −11% Main support 0.786 Fib + Oct 6–8 floor
$0.0476–$0.049 −21% to −24% Breakdown target STRK/USDT 4H levels, Binance.
The $0.0555–$0.0591 zone carries the most weight on the chart because it stacks the 0.707 Fib and the rising 200 EMA on top of the early-October breakout area, where the Oct 5 highs and the Oct 8–9 base sit. If buyers defend it, RSI prints a higher low and a 4H candle closes back above $0.0646, STRK has room to retest the 0.5 Fib at $0.0764. A 4H close under the 200 EMA and $0.0555 would point to $0.048–$0.049 instead, a 0.786 retracement of the whole September–October move that would read as a full reset of the rally.
The vote itself may offer less of a catalyst than its timing suggests. The poll has no quorum requirement and only authorises research, Starknet has published no timetable for an actual exit, and the Starknet governance forum makes clear that any real transition would need its own dedicated governance process later on. Even a clean yes on Oct 22 therefore leaves STRK holders waiting on proposals that do not exist yet, which is a slower story than the one the market paid for in early October.
Alex is a financial markets journalist and co-founder of Millennial Media Group, and he's spent close to ten years trying to answer one stubborn question: what's really driving this? It started in 2016, when Bitcoin refused to make sense to him - and rather than shrug, he stayed with it until it did. That patience became his method. He's less interested in what an asset is doing today than in the plumbing behind it: how liquidity flows, where risk hides, what a chart is quietly telling you that the headline isn't. That lens eventually stretched well past crypto into traditional markets, because the same forces - fear, leverage, incentives, timing - show up everywhere once you know how to look. Most coverage, in his view, insults the reader by stopping at the surface. Price up, price down, moving on. He'd rather leave someone genuinely understanding a move than merely informed that it happened. His path into markets ran through a Tourism degree at New Bulgarian University - proof, maybe, that curiosity beats credentials. With more than 200 deep analyses and over 10,000 articles behind him, he still walks away from most trading days having learned something he didn't know that morning.
Starknet now offers programmable private money, the kind of confidential digital cash Zcash pioneered, through its new privacy features.
The effort runs on two tracks. One is STRK20, a token privacy framework that is live on Starknet, the Ethereum layer 2 network. The other is Ztarknet, a project still in development that would bring Starknet’s execution engine to Zcash as its own layer 2.
What STRK20 actually does STRK20 is a framework for token-level privacy. It applies to any ERC-20-like asset, the standard format for most tokens in the Ethereum ecosystem.
Once a token uses STRK20, its balances and transfers can be confidential. The sender, the receiver, and the amount can all be hidden from public view.
The framework supports DeFi activity such as swaps, lending, and staking while keeping transaction details private.
Compliance is built in through two mechanisms: viewing keys and selective disclosure. A viewing key lets an authorized party, such as an auditor, see transaction details that remain hidden from everyone else. Selective disclosure allows a user to prove specific facts about their activity to a specific party without exposing everything to the entire network.
The research describes the result as enabling Zcash-like private assets directly on Starknet. The first major asset to use STRK20 is strkBTC, a shielded form of Bitcoin on the network.
The road from testnet to mainnet By November 2025, the Ztarknet testnet had launched with a live explorer. It demonstrated verification of Circle STARK proofs on a modified Zcash testnet.
Then came Starknet v0.14.2 in April 2026. The upgrade enabled native STARK proof verification through a proposal called SNIP-36, which laid the groundwork for STRK20.
STRK20 itself was activated by June 2026.
Ztarknet remains in development. Its design uses ZEC, Zcash’s native token, to pay settlement fees on the Zcash base layer. It relies on the Madara sequencer, which orders transactions, and the Stwo prover, which generates the STARK proofs. Ztarknet is designed to operate without changing Zcash’s existing shielded pools.
Why the Starknet and Zcash overlap matters Eli Ben-Sasson and Zooko Wilcox, two prominent figures in blockchain and privacy, are heavily involved in both efforts.
What this means for privacy in crypto STRK20’s viewing keys and selective disclosure are designed to address compliance concerns that have historically put pressure on privacy coins. The research suggests that as privacy rules tighten globally, platforms offering compliant private transactions are likely to draw institutional interest.
For DeFi, public blockchains broadcast every trade, which exposes users to front-running and makes large positions easy to track. Confidential swaps and lending could make onchain finance more workable for anyone who prefers not to show their hand.
The key milestones ahead sit with Ztarknet. Watch for progress from testnet toward production, how ZEC-based settlement performs in practice, and whether developers actually build on it.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Arcus, the DEX built by the dYdX team on Robinhood Chain, has nearly $60M in TVL three months after launch and has listed Starknet's $STRK for perps trading.
Arcus, a decentralized exchange that launched in July alongside Robinhood Chain, is approaching $60M in total value locked (TVL), according to DeFiLlama data. The platform has reported a 146% rise in TVL over the past month, and has now added @Starknet's $STRK to its perpetual futures markets with up to 5x leverage.
Arcus TVL climbs as Robinhood Chain maturesDeFiLlama's protocol page lists Arcus TVL at $58.91M, with all of it deployed on Robinhood Chain. A separate chain-level view shows the protocol's TVL at about $61.77M, making it the top-ranked protocol on the network.
That is a sharp climb from earlier in the platform's life. In July, The Defiant reported that Arcus held $17.1M in TVL while the chain as a whole stood at $588.9M by Artemis' measure. DeFiLlama now puts Robinhood Chain's DeFi TVL at about $1.05B.
Arcus was built by the team behind dYdX in partnership with Robinhood Crypto. Crypto Briefing reported that the exchange went live on July 1 with 95 tokenized stocks and 35 perpetual futures contracts, with leverage of up to 50x on real-world asset perps. It runs separately from the dYdX v4 Chain.
Activity on the platform is dominated by derivatives. DeFiLlama data shows Arcus has recorded about $12.4B in cumulative perps volume, against $385.5M in cumulative spot DEX volume. Open interest stands near $99M.
$STRK perps listing adds to the product rangeArcus offers spot and perps trading natively on Robinhood Chain. The addition of $STRK perps, with leverage of up to 5x, widens the set of crypto assets available alongside its tokenized equity and commodity products.
Robinhood Chain is an Ethereum Layer 2 network built on the Arbitrum technology stack. Robinhood's own announcement said the public mainnet launched as a turnkey environment for builders, natively connected to its onchain users.
Leveraged trading carries high risk, and TVL figures can vary by data provider and methodology. DeFiLlama, for example, uses a narrower definition than Artemis, as The Defiant noted in its July report.
Sources:
DeFiLlama: Arcus TVL, fees, revenue and volume
The Defiant: Robinhood Chain overtakes Base on daily active users
Crypto Briefing: Arcus launches on Robinhood Chain
ShapeShift is trying to fix that for Starknet users. The multichain swap aggregator now supports Starknet, letting users complete a trade in one swap with no bridge step.
ShapeShift announced the integration on October 16, 2026. Starknet amplified the news a day later, on October 17, 2026, describing the network as now available on the platform.
What the integration actually does The core change is about friction. Before this, getting value into or out of Starknet through a typical route meant two separate actions: bridging first, then swapping.
Now the platform handles it as a single trade. You pick what you have and what you want, and ShapeShift does the routing behind the scenes.
The integration also involved updates to ShapeShift’s technical configurations to support the new network. The announcement did not name specific tokens or trading pairs included in the launch.
Who’s involved Starknet is an Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solution built on zk-STARK technology. Layer 2 networks process transactions off Ethereum’s main chain and then settle back to it, aiming for lower costs and higher throughput.
Starknet has positioned itself around three priorities: scalability, privacy, and interoperability. The ShapeShift integration lines up most directly with the third one.
ShapeShift has been in development since 2014. Today it operates as a community-led multichain swap aggregator. An aggregator does not hold all the liquidity itself. Instead it searches across sources to find a route for a trade.
The platform already supports multiple chains and has recently leaned further into interoperability. In September 2026, ShapeShift released its swap stack as a free widget and API for developers.
That earlier move is relevant context. If developers embed ShapeShift’s swap tooling in their own apps, any new chain ShapeShift supports could potentially travel further than ShapeShift’s own interface.
Why this matters for Starknet and its users For Starknet, the bigger prize is access. Layer 2 networks compete partly on how easy it is to get money in and out of them.
Plugging into an established multichain aggregator puts Starknet in front of users who may not have gone looking for it. Someone already using ShapeShift for other chains now sees Starknet as just another destination on the menu.
Removing the bridging step could encourage more frequent and smaller transactions, since the overhead of each trade drops. The integration could also lift trading volume on ShapeShift’s platform and user engagement on Starknet. The announcement did not include any volume or usage figures.
The bigger interoperability picture For traders and investors watching Starknet, the practical signals to monitor are straightforward. Look for changes in Starknet transaction volumes and for any data ShapeShift shares on Starknet-related activity.
Watch, too, whether developers using ShapeShift’s free widget and API start surfacing Starknet swaps inside their own products. That would be the clearest sign the integration is spreading beyond a single front end.
The open question is which assets and pairs see real use once the novelty fades. The announcement left those specifics out, so actual trading behavior over the coming weeks will tell the more useful story.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Starknet now has a velvet rope. The Starknet Foundation introduced the Starknet VIP Program on October 16, 2026, and it targets holders of the network’s native STRK token and strkBTC, its Bitcoin wrapper asset.
According to the program’s page at vip.starknet.io, the program is now open to supported STRK and strkBTC holders.
What VIP status actually gets you The perks lean toward access rather than cash. Qualifying holders are set to receive priority support, direct interaction with the Foundation team, confirmed access to events, and additional benefits the Foundation has yet to disclose.
The program covers two assets with different jobs. STRK serves as Starknet’s governance and staking token, and it is also used to pay fees on the network. In practical terms, STRK is how you vote, how you stake, and how you pay for transactions.
strkBTC is the newer piece. It launched in May 2026 as a wrapped version of Bitcoin built for Starknet’s DeFi applications.
strkBTC was initially secured by a federation of institutions. It also includes optional shielding, which lets users keep certain transactions private.
The Bitcoin push behind the perks The VIP Program did not arrive in a vacuum. It follows a string of Bitcoin-focused moves as Starknet works to build out what the industry calls BTCFi, or decentralized finance built around Bitcoin.
In late 2025, Starknet distributed 100 million STRK as part of its push toward Bitcoin integration.
More recently, the network ran a program covering bridging fees for the first 100 BTC moved onto Starknet.
There is also a weekly strkBTC faucet worth approximately $833.
Starknet recently launched v0.14.4 on mainnet, and the VIP Program arrives in the middle of that ongoing upgrade cycle.
What this means for holders and the network On the market side, research findings note a 47% increase in STRK’s value shortly after the announcement, a move linked to interest in BTCFi and privacy upgrades.
There are open questions worth watching. The Foundation has not yet published eligibility thresholds or how long the program will run.
strkBTC’s security model also bears watching. Because it was initially secured by a federation of institutions, users are trusting that group to manage the underlying Bitcoin.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
The Starknet community is voting on whether to explore the possibility of an independent Layer 1 network due to quantum risks. The current vote is not binding.
Starknet, the second-layer network running on Ethereum, has opened a community vote on the possibility of becoming an independent Layer 1 blockchain. The seven-day vote gives STRK holders the option to support continued research, oppose it, or remain neutral until more information is provided.
The vote will close on October 22nd, and the results will be announced later. However, a positive outcome doesn’t mean Starknet will immediately separate from Ethereum. The current vote only gauges community opinion on the need for a more detailed technical and economic investigation of an independent network option.
A real transition will require the preparation of new technical proposals, the publication of a detailed roadmap, and additional governance votes. Currently, there is no set date for the transition.
StarkWare, the developer of Starknet, argues that a standalone Layer 1 option could enable faster implementation of quantum computing-resistant security systems. In its current configuration, Starknet performs transaction calculations on its own network but relies on Ethereum for key areas such as bridging, data accessibility, and ultimate security.
StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson believes the transition to quantum-resistant cryptography is urgent. In June, the company unveiled a three-phase roadmap aiming to make Starknet fully quantum-attack resistant by 2027. This plan includes updating signature systems, migrating smart contracts, and replacing infrastructure components tied to Ethereum.
Ethereum developers are also working on post-quantum security, but the first protocol-level protections are targeted for rollout in 2029. The central question is whether Starknet will wait for this timeline.
*This is not investment advice.
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Starknet price rebounded nearly 25% toward $0.096 on Oct. 15 as voting opened on research into an independent blockchain, although STRK remained about 22% lower for the week.
Summary
Starknet price recovered from a daily low of $0.0718 but remained below the $0.10 threshold. Starknet opened a seven-day, nonbinding poll on researching an independent, quantum-resistant layer-1 network. The daily chart placed nearby resistance at $0.0977, followed by the $0.1221 range boundary. CoinGlass showed concentrated liquidation levels below price around $0.065–$0.070, alongside overhead bands near $0.10. TradingView’s Binance STRK/USDT daily chart showed the token trading at $0.09607, up 24.78% from the session’s opening price of $0.077. The rebound followed a drop to $0.0718, while the day’s high reached $0.09874.
The recovery brought STRK back toward $0.10 after several days of losses. TradingView’s weekly chart still showed a decline of approximately 22.4%, with the token trading below its weekly opening level of $0.12311.
Starknet’s rebound meets resistance below $0.10 TradingView’s daily Murrey Math indicator placed STRK just below a support-and-resistance pivot at $0.09766. The session’s high briefly exceeded that level, but the price had returned below it at the chart’s timestamp.
Starknet price daily chart — Oct. 15 | Source: TradingView A sustained move above $0.09766 would put the nearby $0.10 threshold back in focus. Beyond that, the indicator’s next marked boundary stood at $0.12207, close to the area where the recent rally reversed.
From approximately $0.096, reaching $0.12207 would require another gain of about 27%. That upper boundary also sits near the weekly high of $0.12494, leaving a clear gap between the current rebound and a full recovery of the week’s losses.
On the downside, the daily indicator marked the bottom of its trading range at $0.07324. STRK briefly traded below that boundary when it reached $0.0718, before recovering above it.
Those two levels form the nearest lower reference zone on the daily chart. Beneath them, the next Murrey Math pivot stood at $0.04883, substantially below the current trading price.
The daily Aroon indicator showed its upward reading at 71.43% and its downward reading at 7.14%. The upward reading remained dominant despite the pullback from the recent peak, although it had retreated from its maximum level.
The governance vote concerns research into an independent network Starknet’s governance forum said the seven-day poll would gauge holders’ interest in exploring an independent, post-quantum layer-1 blockchain.
According to the proposal, approval would begin a research effort leading to more detailed proposals and polls. A rejection would leave the network pursuing its post-quantum work as an Ethereum layer-2.
The forum identified Ethereum-dependent components, including Starknet’s bridge and data availability, as the reason for considering independence. Its proposal said those components remain tied to Ethereum’s security timeline.
The proposal also stated that STRK would remain the network’s token and that Ethereum bridges would stay open under either path. It gave no timeline for an independent network.
Market commentator Route 2 FI linked STRK’s initial rise to news of the vote in an Oct. 15 post. The commentator reported approximately 99.8% support at that point, while stressing that a favorable result would support research rather than approve a transition.
$STRK was up 20% on the news about the governance vote on whether they should become an independent post-quantum L1.
The vote ends in 7 days, but's it's already a 99,8% on "Yes, this should be researched".
A “Yes” vote indicates support for further research. It does not… pic.twitter.com/J11C1pXjI0
— Route 2 FI (@Route2FI) October 15, 2026 That distinction separates the confirmed governance development from claims that Starknet has already decided to leave Ethereum.
Weekly momentum remains positive despite the price retreat TradingView’s weekly MACD showed the MACD line at approximately 0.00689, above its signal line at minus 0.00362. The histogram remained positive at about 0.01052.
Starknet price weekly chart — Oct. 15 | Source: TradingView Those readings contrasted with the weekly price decline: STRK had surrendered part of its recent advance while the MACD retained its bullish crossover.
The weekly Stochastic RSI presented a more stretched picture. Its two readings stood near 90.25 and 92.37, both above the indicator’s conventional 80 threshold.
The faster line was slightly below the slower line, leaving a mixed weekly setup alongside the positive MACD. Price had rebounded sharply from the weekly low, but remained well below the opening level and recent high.
The longer weekly chart also showed STRK trading below earlier peaks near $0.20 and above. Even after its October advance, the token had recovered only part of the decline visible across the broader chart.
Liquidation bands and token releases frame the next test CoinGlass’s one-month liquidation heatmap showed several overhead bands between approximately $0.094 and $0.10, followed by additional bands around $0.107–$0.11.
Starknet liquidation heatmap | Source: CoinGlass Below price, brighter concentrations appeared around $0.065–$0.070. Additional bands sat near $0.075–$0.08, placing leveraged positions on both sides of the rebound.
Meanwhile, Starknet’s documentation states that up to 127 million tokens allocated to investors and early contributors unlock on the 15th of each month through March 2027.
At approximately $0.096 per token, that scheduled tranche represents roughly $12.2 million. The documentation also identifies STRK’s uses as transaction fees, staking, and governance.
For U.S. holders following the governance debate, the official documentation specifies that STRK does not represent equity in StarkWare or the Starknet Foundation.
On the price chart, $0.09766 and $0.10 remain the immediate recovery tests. A move above both would bring $0.12207 into view, while a reversal would return attention to $0.07324 and the $0.0718 weekly low.
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.
Starknet asked STRK holders, through a community pool, whether the network should explore becoming an independent post-quantum Layer 1 (L1); move that could give it more control over security and data availability. It is not a vote to leave Ethereum: the poll is non-binding, and a Yes result would start research rather than trigger an immediate migration.
The case for exploring a change is that parts of Starknet’s security model still depend on Ethereum. The forum proposal says Starknet-controlled components can become quantum-resistant soon, while Ethereum-linked elements-including the bridge and data availability-remain tied to Ethereum’s timeline.
The central trade-off is greater cryptographic autonomy against the security, liquidity, bridge and ecosystem advantages of staying connected to Ethereum.
Should Starknet become an independent L1?
It's time for the community to have its say.
STRK stakers and delegaters can now participate in the first, non-binding governance vote on this potential transition 👇https://t.co/R71MnnJLcg pic.twitter.com/6pCFSlK1VU
— StarkWare (@StarkWareLtd) October 15, 2026
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How Would An Independent Post-Quantum L1 Change Starknet? As a Layer 2 (L2), Starknet operates in connection with Ethereum rather than running every part of its own security and data infrastructure. Data availability means the information needed to check and reconstruct network activity is accessible; an L2 that relies on Ethereum for this function is affected by Ethereum’s choices and upgrade schedule.
An independent L1 could give Starknet more direct control over its own security, consensus and data availability. Consensus is the process by which a network agrees on which transactions and blocks are valid. That control could help Starknet address components that the forum proposal says remain dependent on Ethereum, but independence would also mean taking responsibility for those functions itself.
The proposal points to Starknet’s existing use of hash-based STARK proofs and native account abstraction as parts of its quantum-security starting point. Account abstraction means accounts can be governed by smart-contract logic rather than relying on one signature scheme built into the protocol; the post says user accounts can adopt post-quantum signatures without a protocol upgrade. That is a meaningful design advantage, not proof that every component is already quantum-resistant. The broader threat to blockchain signatures is explained in this overview of post-quantum cryptography.
Why Does the Ethereum Connection Matter? The security rationale is about control over timing: the proposal says Starknet’s Ethereum-dependent bridge and data-availability components follow Ethereum’s timeline, while an independent chain could control more of its own stack. But control does not come free. A standalone network would need to make its own arrangements for consensus, economic security, data availability and bridges-and prove those arrangements can work safely.
For STRK holders, the trade-off is between more autonomy and the risks of building and maintaining more infrastructure. Execution challenges, liquidity fragmentation, bridge security, tooling and the wider ecosystem could all shape how an L1 transition affects users.
Other blockchain migration proposals also show why governance approval and execution are separate hurdles; a comparable Layer 1 migration proposal offers context for the practical risks of changing a network’s direction. It does not establish what Starknet’s own transition would involve.
DISCOVER: 10+ Next Crypto to 100X In 2026
Can Starknet Actually Leave Ethereum? Starknet is exploring a path towards becoming an independent post-quantum L1.
A governance post is now live with a non-binding poll for STRK holders to share their views.https://t.co/89bUM2zTR2
— Starknet (@Starknet) October 15, 2026
The confirmed step is an exploratory, non-binding poll-not an approved Ethereum exit. If holders choose Yes, the proposal says research would begin, with more detailed proposals and polls to follow. The design and operation of independent security, consensus and data availability would remain central questions, alongside implications for liquidity, bridges and the broader ecosystem.
For now, the proposal keeps two points clear: STRK remains the token, and Ethereum bridges stay open. The poll closes after seven days, when its result will show whether holders support further research, prefer continued L2 work, or want the discussion to remain open pending answers.
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TLDR Starknet launched a seven-day STRK governance vote on October 15, with voting scheduled to close on October 22. The non-binding vote asks holders whether to research becoming an independent layer-1 blockchain. StarkWare targets quantum resistance by 2027, while Ethereum targets broader protection by December 2029. Early voting showed 99.9% support by voting power for further research, with the poll still open. StarkWare has proposed no migration date, and STRK would remain the network’s native token under either approach. Starknet opened a seven-day vote on whether to study becoming an independent layer-1 blockchain rather than relying on Ethereum. The non-binding poll runs October 15-22.
STRK stakers and delegators can support research, oppose it, or request more information. The ballot does not approve a network change or set a date.
Starknet vote gives holders three choices The governance proposal offers Yes, No, and Neutral options. A Yes result would start research and further votes, not an immediate switch.
A No result would keep quantum security work within Starknet’s Ethereum layer-2 structure. A Neutral outcome would leave discussion open while the community seeks answers.
The Starknet Foundation says STRK would remain the network’s token under either approach. Bridges connecting Ethereum and Starknet would stay open. Developers have not published a migration timetable.
Quantum security drives the layer-1 debate StarkWare says Starknet’s proof system already uses cryptography designed to withstand quantum attacks. However, its bridge and data posted to Ethereum still depend on Ethereum’s upgrades.
In an October 8 X post, Starknet said it was considering layer-1 status and targeting quantum resistance by 2027. StarkWare also introduced Shadow Accounts for private DeFi activity this week.
Ethereum has a post-quantum roadmap, targeting full protection across core layers by December 2029. That is a target, not a guaranteed delivery date. Current quantum computers cannot break Ethereum’s cryptography.
StarkWare called an independent chain its clearest path in an October 10 X post. Its June roadmap identified Ethereum bridges and data availability as outside dependencies.
STRK price reacts as debate continues The poll follows a sharp STRK price rally on October 11. The token gained more than 50% in 24 hours before retreating. Price movements do not indicate how holders will vote.
By 14:40 UTC on October 15, 293 ballots represented 179.8 million STRK in voting power, with 99.9% supporting research. Final results will appear after the poll closes, without approving a transition.
Other companies are examining quantum risks. Coinbase published a Bitcoin post-quantum security plan, urging developers to prepare before powerful quantum computers arrive. Its recommendations concern Bitcoin, not Starknet’s governance vote.
Moving to layer 1 would require Starknet to manage security and settlement without Ethereum. The design, costs, and transition steps remain open for later governance votes. No final independent network design or timeline has been published.
Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.
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Starknet has launched a seven-day community vote on October 15, 2026, asking STRK holders whether the network should explore leaving Ethereum’s Layer 2 ecosystem to become an independent Layer 1 blockchain designed to resist future quantum computing threats.
Summary
Starknet opened a seven day community poll on researching an independent quantum resistant blockchain network. STRK holders are being asked for their views, but the vote cannot authorize any migration. StarkWare says existing STARK proofs resist quantum attacks, while Ethereum connected infrastructure remains dependent. Starknet says STRK would remain its native token and existing Ethereum bridges would stay open. Approval would begin research and additional votes; rejection would continue quantum upgrades within Starknet L2. The Starknet governance forum published the proposal after StarkWare began discussing the possibility on October 8. The vote is nonbinding and will determine whether developers should conduct further research into the proposed change, with no decision yet made to separate Starknet from Ethereum.
The proposal confirms that STRK would remain the network’s native cryptocurrency under either arrangement, with no replacement token planned. Existing bridges connecting Ethereum and Starknet would remain available.
Starknet considers leaving Ethereum over quantum security Starknet currently operates as an Ethereum Layer 2 network, processing transactions using its own infrastructure while relying on Ethereum for certain security and settlement functions.
The proposed move would allow Starknet to operate as an independent Layer 1 blockchain, giving it more direct control over the systems responsible for its security.
BREAKING: STARKNET TAKES ITS INDEPENDENT POST-QUANTUM L1 AMBITION INTO GOVERNANCE.
A NEW GOVERNANCE POLL ASKS STRK HOLDERS TO BACK FURTHER RESEARCH INTO THE MOVE.
— Starknet Ecosystem 🥷🏽 (@StarknetEco) October 15, 2026 According to the governance proposal, concerns about future quantum computers have prompted developers to examine whether maintaining the current relationship with Ethereum could delay certain security improvements.
Quantum computers could eventually threaten widely used cryptographic systems, particularly some methods used to protect blockchain accounts and authorize transactions.
StarkWare believes its existing technology provides a foundation for addressing those risks. However, the proposal acknowledges that parts of Starknet remain dependent on Ethereum’s infrastructure.
The network currently uses Ethereum for functions including data availability and its main blockchain bridge. Changes to the security of those components depend partly on Ethereum’s own upgrade plans. Moving to an independent Layer 1 could allow Starknet developers to set security requirements for those functions without waiting for Ethereum.
The proposal does not identify a date for any transition or explain the complete technical process required to establish an independent network. Developers have not presented a final design covering consensus, data availability, bridging or migration procedures.
StarkWare began discussing the possible change publicly on October 8. The latest vote asks whether the community supports investing further resources in examining that option.
Why Starknet says its technology can resist quantum attacks Starknet’s argument centers on its existing cryptographic system, known as STARK proofs.
These proofs allow computers to verify that transactions follow a network’s rules without repeating every calculation involved.
StarkWare explains that STARK proofs use mathematical techniques that do not depend on the same cryptographic assumptions as conventional elliptic curve signatures. The company describes its proof system as resistant to attacks from sufficiently powerful quantum computers.
Starknet uses native account abstraction, allowing user accounts to operate through programmable smart contracts.
According to its developers, this structure would allow accounts to adopt quantum resistant signature methods without requiring a complete network protocol upgrade.
However, the governance proposal does not claim that every part of Starknet has already completed the necessary security improvements.
The project maintains a Quantum Hub describing existing protections and the components that still need work.
Its research identifies the cryptographic systems used for account authorization, transaction verification and connections with other blockchains as areas requiring continued attention.
The network has previously discussed replacing certain cryptographic components with alternatives designed for stronger quantum resistance.
For example, StarkWare has explored replacing older hash functions and introducing new signature methods as researchers develop and test them.
The company’s published technical work describes quantum protection as a process involving multiple components, not a single network upgrade.
In an earlier discussion of Ethereum security and StarkWare’s research, StarkWare cofounder Eli Ben-Sasson described the company’s history of developing STARK technology for Ethereum.
He pointed to work beginning in 2019 and 2020 on proof systems intended to improve blockchain scaling and prepare for possible quantum computing risks.
Starknet confirms STRK token will remain unchanged The governance proposal addresses what would happen to STRK if developers eventually pursued an independent blockchain. It states that the existing cryptocurrency would remain Starknet’s native token regardless of whether the network continued operating on Ethereum or became a separate Layer 1.
Developers are not proposing to issue a new token as part of the possible transition. The proposal further confirms that bridges between Ethereum and Starknet would remain open.
Consequently, the discussion does not represent a plan to immediately close connections with Ethereum or remove existing routes for transferring assets between the networks.
Starknet’s current infrastructure supports applications involving decentralized finance, cryptocurrency transfers and blockchain privacy services.
On October 13, StarkWare introduced Shadow Accounts, allowing users to interact with decentralized applications without publicly linking every activity to their main wallets.
As detailed in Starknet’s new wallet privacy feature, the system creates separate application accounts funded through shielded balances.
Transactions and positions held by Shadow Accounts remain visible on the blockchain, although the links to their original funding wallets are obscured.
The system is part of Starknet’s ongoing work on account functionality and privacy.
Earlier in June, StarkWare introduced STRK20, a privacy framework that allows compatible tokens to move between public and shielded balances.
The STRK20 privacy framework for blockchain tokens uses cryptographic proofs to verify private transactions while maintaining mechanisms for authorized disclosure.
Neither of those developments requires Starknet to become an independent Layer 1, and developers have not announced changes to the services as part of the governance poll.
Seven day vote will determine whether research continues The community vote is open to STRK holders and will remain active for seven days beginning October 15. Its purpose is to measure whether participants support further examination of Starknet becoming an independent blockchain. The proposal provides three possible outcomes: Yes, No and Neutral.
A Yes result would begin a research process focused on the independent Layer 1 option. Developers would then prepare more detailed proposals and conduct additional votes. A No result would keep Starknet’s quantum security work within its existing Ethereum Layer 2 structure.
If the result is Neutral, the governance discussion would remain open while participants seek answers to unresolved questions. The forum states that results will become visible immediately when the polling period closes.
Community members can participate through the Starknet governance portal, with discussion continuing on the official forum.
The voting process does not establish a timetable for migration, authorize a network upgrade or require existing users to move their assets.
Starknet’s published decentralization roadmap currently includes work on validator participation, consensus and network security.
The roadmap describes plans for validators to participate in block validation and later take responsibility for additional network operations. StarkWare has said that its work on quantum protection remains active regardless of the vote’s outcome.
The October 15 governance proposal specifies that a favorable result would begin research followed by more detailed proposals and polls. No final migration vote or date has been announced.
Ethereum layer-2 network Starknet has opened a non-binding vote asking STRK holders whether it should explore becoming an independent, post-quantum layer-1 blockchain.
On Thursday, Starknet opened a seven-day poll, which offers three options: support further research, oppose it, or remain neutral pending more information. Voting closes on Oct. 22, with results published afterwards.
A “Yes” vote would signal support for further research, not authorize a transition. Further proposals and governance votes would be required, and no timetable for becoming an L1 has been announced.
StarkWare, the developer behind Starknet, said the move could allow the network to pursue quantum-resistant security without depending on Ethereum’s upgrade schedule. Starknet currently relies on Ethereum for infrastructure, including its bridge and data availability, which StarkWare identifies as remaining quantum-security dependencies.
“Quantum-proofing crypto is urgent, so we must move at lightning speed,” StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson told Cointelegraph, contrasting the proposal with what he described as slower progress at Ethereum and Bitcoin.
Both Ben-Sasson and Starknet hinted at the proposal in separate X posts on Oct. 8, framing it as a move to become “the first fully quantum-resistant network” by 2027.
In June, StarkWare unveiled a three-phase quantum-resistance roadmap for Starknet, covering signature upgrades, smart-contract migration and Ethereum-dependent infrastructure.
In March, Ethereum developers established a dedicated post-quantum team, aiming to introduce initial protocol-level protections by 2029.
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.
Ethereum layer-2 network Starknet has opened a non-binding vote asking STRK holders whether it should explore becoming an independent, post-quantum layer-1 blockchain.
On Thursday, Starknet opened a seven-day poll, which offers three options: support further research, oppose it, or remain neutral pending more information. Voting closes on Oct. 22, with results published afterwards.
A “Yes” vote would signal support for further research, not authorize a transition. Further proposals and governance votes would be required, and no timetable for becoming an L1 has been announced.
StarkWare, the developer behind Starknet, said the move could allow the network to pursue quantum-resistant security without depending on Ethereum’s upgrade schedule. Starknet currently relies on Ethereum for infrastructure, including its bridge and data availability, which StarkWare identifies as remaining quantum-security dependencies.
“Quantum-proofing crypto is urgent, so we must move at lightning speed,” StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson told Cointelegraph, contrasting the proposal with what he described as slower progress at Ethereum and Bitcoin.
Both Ben-Sasson and Starknet hinted at the proposal in separate X posts on Oct. 8, framing it as a move to become “the first fully quantum-resistant network” by 2027.
In June, StarkWare unveiled a three-phase quantum-resistance roadmap for Starknet, covering signature upgrades, smart-contract migration and Ethereum-dependent infrastructure.
In March, Ethereum developers established a dedicated post-quantum team, aiming to introduce initial protocol-level protections by 2029.
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently.
