Ethereum Layer 2 Starknet Resumes Operations After Network Outage

Key Points:

• Starknet restored block production after downtime between 2:23 a.m. and 4:36 a.m. UTC.
• Developers committed a reorg from block 1,960,612, requiring resubmission of excluded transactions.
• Team pledged a detailed retrospective with root cause analysis and preventive measures.

Starknet restored block production early Tuesday after several hours of downtime that disrupted transaction processing across the Layer 2 network. Most RPC providers are operational again, while remaining nodes continue upgrading to stabilise services.

The outage forced a reorganisation beginning at block 1,960,612, covering roughly one hour of chain activity. Transactions submitted between 2:23 a.m. and 4:36 a.m. UTC were excluded and require resubmission.

Block Production Returns Following Multi-Hour Interruption

The incident halted on-chain activity for builders and users relying on the ZK-rollup. Developers prioritized restoring production and mitigating further disruption.

Network monitoring platforms confirmed widespread delays in transaction confirmations during the outage. However, activity normalized quickly once block production resumed, ensuring dApps could reconnect and continue processing.

Developers Commit to Retrospective and Long-Term Stability Measures

The Starknet team confirmed it will publish a full retrospective with the timeline, root cause, and long-term prevention strategies. This commitment aims to reassure users and strengthen operational reliability.

During restoration, the team emphasized that network security was not compromised. The reorganization removed unprocessed transactions but ensured consistent state integrity across validators and applications.

Disruption Highlights Broader Layer 2 Operational Risks

The outage highlighted operational risks facing Ethereum Layer 2 platforms, even as they promise scalability and lower transaction costs. Such disruptions can impact trust when critical systems face interruptions.

Past incidents remain limited, with Starknet reporting near 100% uptime in recent months aside from a brief July delay. A similar four-hour interruption occurred in April 2024, caused by a bug that forced a reorganisation.

Starknet remains a central scaling solution using zero-knowledge proofs to batch transactions off-chain and post proofs to Ethereum. Despite challenges, its adoption continues to grow across developers, users, and applications seeking efficient settlement.