Starknet is holding a referendum on leaving Ethereum. The question on the ballot is whether to think about it.
The Snapshot poll (Oct 15–22) asks STRK stakers and delegators whether to research becoming an independent post-quantum L1. Non-binding. No quorum. A Yes "does not constitute approval of a transition to an L1."
Tally so far: ~317M STRK, 99.95% Yes. The No camp could hold its meeting in a phone booth.
Also, StarkWare already called an independent L1 "our clearest path forward" on Oct 10. Bold of the poll to arrive after the conclusion.
The tech case is real. STARK proofs are hash-based and accounts can adopt post-quantum signatures today. The bridge and data availability run on Ethereum's clock, and Ethereum's post-quantum target is ~2029 vs Starknet's 2027.
Token Autopsy: as an L2, Starknet rents its security from Ethereum. As an L1, STRK stakers become the security budget. Same token, no new one, much bigger job. Nobody has said what the pay looks like.
One forum reply asked what economic security they target at launch and called the move "a transfer of dependency, not a gain in decentralization." The team's answer: research may help answer these.
Winner: StarkWare, which gets its own roadmap clock. STRK holders get a promotion with the salary TBD.
Is "post-quantum" a reason to leave Ethereum, or just the most futuristic-sounding way to stop paying rent?