# Starknet Jumps 25% as It Considers Leaving Ethereum to Accelerate Quantum Security

> STRK and Kaia outpace Bitcoin’s rebound, while SpaceX’s mobile ambitions send telecom stocks in opposite directions. The action stretches across cryptocurrencies and stocks available through crypto platforms.

By Lidia Yadlos · October 9, 2026

Canonical: https://blockster.com/starknet-jumps-25-ethereum-quantum-security-market-moves

Bitcoin was recovering on Friday, but some of the biggest moves were happening elsewhere.

Starknet’s STRK traded near **$0.0748**, up approximately **25.2%** against the market-data provider’s previous-close reference, as investors reacted to the network’s consideration of a future as an independent blockchain. Kaia climbed roughly **45%** on the same measurement basis. Bitcoin’s recovery was more modest, taking it to around **$82,836**.

Across equities, the split was equally pronounced. [Crown Castle jumped nearly 15%](https://apnews.com/article/5d0f953dbf96febb0690c1aef23fa8a9), while T-Mobile and Verizon fell by double digits as investors assessed SpaceX’s push into mobile communications. Those companies also have [tokenized versions listed on Kraken](https://www.kraken.com/prices/xstocks), bringing the stock-market reaction onto platforms already familiar to crypto traders.

Friday’s market offered several distinct stories. Starknet’s was about who controls a blockchain’s future. The telecom trade was about who could control the next generation of connectivity.

> “We are actively considering becoming an L1.”

That statement from [Starknet](https://x.com/Starknet/status/2108113391525204034) put a major architectural decision into the market’s conversation. The network is considering becoming a Layer 1, with a stated ambition of achieving full quantum resistance by 2027. The transition remains under consideration, rather than an approved or completed migration.

StarkWare co-founder and CEO Eli Ben-Sasson [connected the discussion to his TOKEN2049 presentation](https://unchainedcrypto.com/starknet-weighs-becoming-a-layer-1-to-chase-quantum-resistance-by-2027/), pointing to quantum computing and increasingly capable AI as reasons to reconsider how quickly blockchains can adapt their security.

The timing adds another dimension to the conversations in Blockster’s [TOKEN2049 Singapore recap](https://blockster.com/inside-token2049-conversations-that-defined-singapore). As the industry talks about putting more financial activity onchain, the ability to upgrade the infrastructure underneath it becomes more consequential.

For Starknet, the question is particularly direct. It currently operates as an Ethereum Layer 2, processing activity on its own network while relying on Ethereum for important parts of settlement and data availability. Greater independence could give it more control over the pace of security changes.

That possibility helped give traders a narrative to buy. Whether it produces a stronger network will depend on the design and execution.

## Why Ethereum is part of the decision

Starknet’s [quantum-resistance explainer](https://www.starknet.io/blog/quantum-resistance/) describes two advantages in its existing architecture: its STARK proof technology and smart-contract accounts that can change how they verify transaction signatures.

The company has also described an experimental, unaudited account that used a post-quantum signature for a mainnet transaction. That demonstrates a capability at the account level; it does not establish that every component of the network is already quantum-resistant.

The same explainer identifies remaining work across the protocol and existing contracts. It also highlights dependencies inherited from Ethereum through the bridge and the layer where Starknet publishes its data. Those connections help explain why becoming independent has entered the discussion.

For investors, the trade-off is control versus responsibility. An independent network could choose more of its own security timetable, but its settlement arrangements, migration process and economic security would all need scrutiny.

[Post from @Starknet on X](https://twitter.com/Starknet/status/2108561912988643486)

> “This roadmap is the formal launch of our PQ migration, not its conclusion.”

StarkWare used that wording in its [post-quantum roadmap](https://starkware.co/blog/the-architecture-advantage-starknets-quantum-readiness-roadmap/), which also makes clear that protocol changes require governance approval and that timelines are not guaranteed.

That distinction matters during a sharp rally. A token can reprice within minutes. A network transition requires specifications, testing, approvals and a workable path for the people already using it.

Nor does the discussion demonstrate that Bitcoin or Ethereum’s cryptography has been broken. As Blockster explored in its [coverage of the AI wallet-security debate](https://blockster.com/crypto-bunker-mode-ai-wallet-security), preparing for a possible future attack is different from showing that one works today.

## Kaia joins the rally as Bitcoin recovers

Starknet was not the only cryptocurrency attracting buyers. Kaia’s rally followed an [Upbit listing announcement](https://koinbulteni.com/en/upbit-lists-this-altcoin-price-jumps-19-289077.html), according to Friday’s market reporting. That gave traders a separate catalyst tied to exchange access.

In the snapshot accompanying this story, **KAIA traded near $0.0527**, while **Ethereum stood around $2,488** and **Solana around $109.59**.

Bitcoin’s rebound followed Thursday’s slide toward $80,300. Even after recovering, it remained roughly 4% below its level a week earlier in [Friday morning’s reporting](https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2026/10/09/bitcoin-steadies-near-usd82-500-after-trump-rules-out-iran-strike-before-midterms); Ethereum was down approximately 9% over the week. The bounce had not erased the preceding selloff.

![October 9 cryptocurrency snapshot: Starknet +25.18%, Kaia +45.01%, Bitcoin +2.27%, Ethereum +2.10%, Solana +0.98%.](https://ik.imagekit.io/blockster/studio/inline/a0366d32-4e05-4445-91d0-717cb308c4f1/58035702-193b-458a-b4ba-0632e3bca869.png)

_Cryptocurrency figures are snapshots retrieved around noon ET on October 9. Percentage changes use the data provider’s previous-close reference, rather than a rolling 24-hour comparison._

## SpaceX creates winners and losers across telecom

The stock-market story was less about a broad rally than a sharp redistribution of expectations.

SpaceX’s agreement to acquire a nationwide spectrum portfolio intensified the prospect of competition from its mobile business. [Reuters reported declines across established wireless carriers](https://www.reuters.com/business/wall-st-futures-gain-oil-slips-telecoms-pressured-by-spacex-spectrum-deal-2026-10-09/) following the announcement, while other reporting showed cell-tower companies moving higher.

By approximately **11:50 a.m. ET**, **Crown Castle traded at $79.16, up 14.91%**. **T-Mobile fell 12.98% to $149.08**, and **Verizon dropped 11.74% to $40.91**. SpaceX itself was up **1.81% at $163.48**.

There were substantial moves outside telecom, too. **Humana gained 12.87% to $436.93**, following improved Medicare Advantage ratings. **Lumentum rose 6.43% to approximately $1,116**, as investors responded to its CEO’s comments that [some optical components were sold out through 2029](https://www.barrons.com/articles/stock-movers-28befd73).

![October 9 stock snapshot: Crown Castle +14.91%, Humana +12.87%, Lumentum +6.43%, SpaceX +1.81%, T-Mobile −12.98%, Verizon −11.74%.](https://ik.imagekit.io/blockster/studio/inline/a0366d32-4e05-4445-91d0-717cb308c4f1/da9038f5-bad3-48f0-b8ef-e0065240da7d.png)

_Stock quotes are from approximately 11:47–11:50 a.m. ET on October 9, with changes measured against the previous close._

## Where crypto-platform users can access the stock names

Kraken lists **[CCIx, HUMx, SPCXx, TMUSx and VZx](https://www.kraken.com/prices/xstocks)**, providing tokenized exposure to Crown Castle, Humana, SpaceX, T-Mobile and Verizon for eligible customers outside the United States. Its regular stock service also lists **[Lumentum](https://www.kraken.com/stocks/lite)** for eligible U.S. clients.

The distinction matters: the stock prices above refer to the underlying U.S. equities. Tokenized products can trade at different prices and do not necessarily provide the same ownership rights. Kraken states that its [xStocks provide indirect exposure without direct shareholder rights](https://www.kraken.com/xstocks/ccix).

Blockster’s [exchange comparison guide](https://blockster.com/crypto-exchange-guide-compare-stocks-ai-trading-rewards-and-borrowing) explains how these expanding platforms differ, while our [tokenized-stock coverage](https://blockster.com/news/markets) follows what investors actually receive when equities move onchain.

For Starknet, the next meaningful development will be a concrete proposal and the decisions that follow it. For the telecom names, it will be whether SpaceX can turn its spectrum ambitions into a competitive service. Friday’s prices show investors are already placing their bets on both.