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Starknet is a Validity Rollup based on STARK cryptographic proofs, designed to scale Ethereum. It executes transactions off-chain and generates validity proofs, which are then submitted to the Ethereum mainnet for verification, thereby increasing throughput and reducing fees while maintaining security. Developers can write smart contracts in Cairo and deploy decentralized applications; users can transact and interact through supported wallets. Starknet is developed by StarkWare and features native account abstraction, enabling flexible account logic.
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About StarkWare
StarkWare, the core developer of Ethereum's ZK Rollup scaling solution Starknet, has navigated a development path marked by technological innovation and strategic adjustments. Key milestones with long-term significance include:
In 2018, StarkWare was founded, introducing the zkSTARK proof system, which offers transparency and quantum resistance, laying the foundation for future scalability and security.
In 2021, Starknet Alpha launched on mainnet, establishing StarkWare as a leading player in the ZK-Rollup space. The subsequent STRK token airdrop in 2024, distributing 700 million tokens, marked a critical step in community decentralization, despite mixed reactions.
In 2025, StarkWare announced a major reorganization, splitting into two business units focused on monetization and protocol development, signaling a shift towards sustainable revenue generation. The company also launched a privacy-focused KYC solution, addressing data breach concerns.
In 2026, StarkWare published a roadmap for post-quantum security, outlining a three-phase migration to quantum-resistant cryptography, a proactive move to future-proof the network. CEO Eli Ben-Sasson also proposed a five-step plan for the crypto industry to address quantum threats.
Throughout its history, StarkWare has consistently prioritized core technology development, from recursive proofs to quantum-safe measures, while navigating market pressures and community trust challenges.
In H1 2026, Starknet pivoted into a privacy-preserving execution layer. Key milestones: the launch of STRK20, a protocol-level privacy framework enabling private transfers, staking, and anonymous swaps; and strkBTC, a shielded Bitcoin asset. These represent the most consequential upgrades in Starknet's history. StarkWare also made major proving progress with S-two's circuit-based recursive proving, cutting verifier proving latency from ~1 minute to ~3 seconds and enabling laptop-class proving. On the roadmap side, StarkWare published a post-quantum (PQ) readiness plan in three phases: Phase 1 replaces Pedersen hashing with BLAKE2 across state commitment, address derivation, and OS config hash (the latter already live on testnet, mainnet in early July); Phase 2 extends PQ security to legacy contracts via a migration toolkit; Phase 3 depends on Ethereum's migration timeline. Other 2026 plans include deploying S-two to reduce L1 finality below one hour, a Rust committer for 2-3x throughput, sub-second preconfirmations, decentralized block validation, and fee stabilization. STRK20's privacy pool was formally verified in Lean and open-sourced.
Co-founders and current core executives of StarkWare:
- Eli Ben-Sasson: Co-founder & CEO. Former professor at Technion, known for STARK proofs and Zcash.
- Michael Riabzev: Co-founder & Chief Architect. Expert in cryptography, led STARK implementation.
- Uri Kolodny: Co-founder & Board Member. Previously co-founded多家公司，负责战略与运营.
- Alessandro Chiesa: Co-founder & Chief Scientist. Professor at EPFL, co-inventor of STARKs.
Other key executives:
- Avihu Levy: Chief Product Officer. Leads product strategy.
- Gideon Kaempfer: VP Engineering. Head of core engineering team.
- Katherine Kirkpatrick Bos: General Counsel. Oversees legal affairs.
Note: Moni Naor serves as Chief Researcher, but is not a co-founder.
StarkWare's recent team change: General Counsel Katherine Kirkpatrick Bos (KK Kirkbos) departed in July 2026, ending a tenure that began in September 2024. She subsequently joined Chainlink Labs as Head of Legal. Bos previously held legal leadership roles at Cboe Digital and Maple Finance, bringing extensive experience across both CeFi and DeFi. Her departure marks a significant personnel shift for StarkWare.