STRK rallies as Starknet weighs a move from Ethereum layer 2 to its own layer 1

Starknet spent years as one of Ethereum’s best-known scaling networks. Now it is openly considering leaving the nest. On October 8, 2026, the project said it is weighing a transition from an Ethereum layer 2 into an independent layer 1 blockchain. The market did not wait for the details. STRK, Starknet’s native token, rallied to a nine-month high and outpaced both Bitcoin and ether. The pitch centers on quantum computing. Starknet wants full quantum resistance by 2027 and argues that running its own chain is the fastest way to get there. The rally, by the numbers Estimates of STRK’s move vary by source and time window, with reported gains ranging from 19% to 40% across October 8-9. The token climbed to roughly $0.07 to $0.073, its highest level in about nine months. The activity went well beyond spot buying. Futures open interest on STRK rose by more than 50%, which points to traders piling into leveraged positions on the news. On-chain usage also picked up. Daily trading on Starknet’s decentralized exchanges rose to about $33.7 million, while network fees reached approximately $13,685 on October 8, a seven-day high. Why Starknet wants its own chain StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson mad...