Usman Adamu Digital 🇳🇬

Abuja, are we ready for a gathering of traders? I’m thinking of hosting a 3-day live trading event in Abuja, bringing different trading communities together. Here’s the vision: Day 1: Forex traders Day 2: Crypto traders: Memecoins & Prediction Markets Day 3: Spot & Perpetuals Three days of market insights, live trading sessions, practical learning, networking and conversations with traders across different markets. Abuja traders, would you show up? And if you’re a trader, trading community leader, educator, platform or potential sponsor, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s make this happen. 💚

Starknet wants to explore life beyond Ethereum. But who is asking what we (@Starknet) might lose in the process? Before celebrating the possibility, we need to understand the security implications, economic trade-offs, developer experience and what independence would actually mean for the ecosystem. This is exactly why the research phase matters. And I think there are some important questions the working group needs to answer. 1. What happens to security? One of the major motivations behind this exploration is post-quantum security. Starknet uses STARK proofs, which are designed with post-quantum security in mind. But securing the proof system is only one part of securing an entire blockchain. The research needs to examine the network's cryptographic dependencies, consensus mechanism and other potential vulnerabilities. How will an independent Starknet protect itself against future quantum threats without introducing new security weaknesses? 2. What does independence mean for decentralization? Moving away from the L2 model could mean taking on responsibilities that Ethereum currently provides. Who will validate transactions? How will consensus work? What incentives will keep validators participating? And perhaps more importantly, how will Starknet maintain censorship resistance and network reliability? Being independent should not simply mean having more control. It should also mean having a sustainable and credible security model. 3. What happens to developers and existing applications? This is where things get very practical. Starknet already has developers building applications, users interacting with protocols and liquidity moving across its ecosystem. Would developers need to modify or redeploy their smart contracts? What happens to existing assets, wallets, bridges and integrations? How disruptive would the transition be for people who have already built their products around Starknet? The ecosystem shouldn't have to figure everything out after a decision has been made. 4. What changes for STRK? An independent L1 needs an economic model capable of supporting its own network security. This raises several questions about STRK. What role will staking play? How will validators be rewarded? How will transaction fees work? What economic incentives will encourage long-term participation? These details matter because a technically impressive blockchain still needs an economic structure that can sustain it. 5. Is becoming an L1 the only way forward? I think this question deserves particular attention. Could Starknet achieve its post-quantum security goals while remaining an Ethereum L2? Which limitations can be addressed without abandoning the current model? What advantages would independence provide, and what would Starknet be giving up in exchange? The research should compare both possibilities honestly. After all, research isn't supposed to justify a decision that has already been made. It's supposed to provide enough evidence to make an informed decision. My biggest expectation from this working group is transparency. I want to see clear findings, technical explanations that the wider community can understand, independent scrutiny and honest discussions about the trade-offs. Not just a list of reasons why becoming an L1 could work, but also the challenges, risks and alternatives. Starknet has an opportunity to think carefully about what its next chapter should look like. And perhaps the most important question isn't whether Starknet can become an independent L1. It's whether independence will make the network more secure, sustainable and valuable for the people building and using it. What would you want the Starknet L1 research working group to investigate first? Explore the checklist and methodology: quantum.starkware.co/network…