Brief Mainnet Outage Hits Ethereum’s Layer 2 Starknet

On January 11, Starknet reported a brief mainnet outage, caused by a state inconsistency between its execution and proof layers, resulting in an 18-minute on-chain reorganization.

This incident underscores vulnerabilities within Layer 2 networks, highlighting the need for robust infrastructure to ensure transaction integrity and continuity.

Network Disruption and Rollback Details

Starknet revealed that the mainnet outage arose from a state inconsistency between the execution layer and the proof layer. This state mismatch led to transactions being erroneously recorded and subsequently rolled back, causing a short-lived chain reorganization. This incident was the network’s second disruption since 2025, when a sequencer vulnerability had previously caused over five hours of downtime.

The immediate implication of this incident was the rollback of nearly 18 minutes of on-chain activity, with impacted transactions not obtaining finality on Ethereum’s Layer 1. It highlights the critical challenge Starknet faces in ensuring robust operational stability and reliability in its architecture. In response, Starknet aims to reassess its execution and proof layer coordination to prevent such mismatches in the future.

“The incident was caused by a state inconsistency between the execution layer (‘blockifier’) and the proving layer, leading to a brief mainnet outage and an approximately 18-minute chain reorganization.” Starknet Status Page – Incident History

Price Impact and Expert Insights Amid Outage

Did you know? In September 2025, Starknet faced a more significant incident that resulted in over five hours of downtime, the longest the network has encountered, marking its vulnerability to sequencer issues.

CoinMarketCap data as of January 11, 2026, reports Ethereum’s price at $3,092.41 with a market cap of $373.24 billion. Although the 24-hour trading volume saw a significant drop of 60.85%, Ethereum remains dominant with a 12.06% market share. Changes in its price reflect a quarterly decline of 25.27%.

According to the Coincu research team, potential outcomes of this incident for Starknet may involve enhanced coordination mechanisms within its infrastructure. The network’s historical issues with execution and proof discrepancies point to a need for systematic improvements in resilience and transparency.