Starknet Analyzes 18-Minute Mainnet Downtime Cause and Future Prevention
Written by Ohris M. Greyoon, Blockchain & Crypto Expert
Source: Coinmarketcap
Updated: Jan 10 2026- Cause Analysis: The Starknet team's post-mortem report identified that the mainnet downtime was due to a discrepancy between the execution layer and the proving layer, resulting in incorrect transaction execution; although this error did not affect L1 finality, it caused an 18-minute rollback of network activity, impacting user experience.
- Network Recovery: Following the incident, the Starknet team quickly executed a block reorganization to restore normal functionality, demonstrating their responsiveness to emergencies, yet highlighting the coding challenges associated with multi-layer blockchain technology stacks.
- Future Improvement Commitment: This incident prompted the Starknet team to commit to more rigorous testing and code audits to prevent similar issues in the future, reflecting their focus on network stability and maintaining user trust.
- Historical Outage Review: Starknet experienced multiple outages in 2025, with the most severe occurring in September after the Grinta protocol upgrade, leading to over five hours of downtime, underscoring the critical importance of technical stability in the rapidly evolving blockchain landscape.
About the author
Ohris M. Greyoon
Ohris M. Greyoon holds a Master’s in Computer Science from MIT and has 10 years of experience in blockchain technology and cryptocurrency markets. A pioneer in decentralized finance (DeFi) analysis, he leads Intellectia’s Crypto News, offering cutting-edge insights into digital assets.
