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Eli Ben-Sasson, CEO and co-founder of StarkWare, is making a straightforward case that sounds radical mostly because the industry has ignored it for so long: privacy and post-quantum security should be standard features, not luxury upgrades.
The argument comes as StarkWare prepares to release a comprehensive post-quantum security roadmap for Starknet on June 30, 2026, which the company is positioning as the most robust such plan in crypto. Ben-Sasson’s thesis is that serious blockchain projects need to integrate these properties from the start rather than scrambling to retrofit them once quantum computing becomes a real threat.
Why quantum resistance matters now
The quantum computing timeline is fuzzy, with estimates for when quantum machines could break current cryptographic standards ranging from 2029 to 2039. But Ben-Sasson’s point isn’t about predicting exactly when the threat arrives. Transitioning a live blockchain to quantum-resistant cryptography is roughly the equivalent of replacing an airplane’s engine mid-flight. Ben-Sasson has argued that blockchains need to begin preparing migration paths now, regardless of where you peg the quantum timeline.
StarkWare’s technical advantage here is architectural. STARK proofs, the cryptographic technology that underpins Starknet, rely on hash functions rather than elliptic-curve cryptography. That distinction matters because elliptic-curve methods are precisely what quantum computers are expected to shatter first. Hash-based systems, by contrast, are considered inherently resistant to quantum attacks.
To reinforce its commitment to this direction, StarkWare brought Scott Aaronson onto its Scientific Advisory Board in February 2026. Aaronson is one of the most recognized names in quantum computing research, and his addition signals that StarkWare is treating post-quantum security as a core engineering priority rather than a marketing talking point.
Privacy as a feature, not an afterthought
Ben-Sasson’s advocacy extends beyond quantum resilience. He’s been equally vocal about privacy, framing it as an essential capability of zero-knowledge technology that deserves equal billing with the scaling properties ZK proofs are better known for.
Starknet has already started putting infrastructure behind this vision. The network has deployed the S-two prover on its mainnet, which improves transaction efficiency while enabling advanced privacy features. These include shielded balances and private transfers, capabilities that let users transact without exposing their full financial activity to the public ledger.
The STRK20 token represents one of the more concrete implementations of this privacy toolkit. It’s designed to facilitate private transfers and swaps on Starknet, giving users a practical tool for shielded transactions.
The multi-chain dimension
Ben-Sasson has also emphasized that post-quantum readiness isn’t a single-chain problem. He’s advocated for multi-chain strategies, recognizing that the broader blockchain ecosystem’s security is only as strong as its weakest cryptographic link.
Most major blockchain networks currently rely on elliptic-curve digital signature algorithms (ECDSA) or similar schemes that quantum computers could theoretically compromise. Ethereum’s core signing mechanism falls into this category. While Ethereum researchers have discussed post-quantum migration paths, no major network has published a roadmap as concrete as what StarkWare promises for June 30.
What this means for the competitive landscape
StarkWare’s positioning creates an interesting competitive dynamic in the Layer 2 space. Rivals like Optimism, Arbitrum, and zkSync are primarily competing on execution speed, developer experience, and ecosystem incentives. By foregrounding privacy and quantum resistance, StarkWare is attempting to differentiate on security properties that most competitors haven’t yet addressed in a systematic way.
The upcoming June 30 roadmap release will be the real test. A detailed, technically rigorous plan would validate StarkWare’s claims and potentially force competitors to accelerate their own post-quantum timelines.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
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