The Starknet Foundation stewards the growth and development of the Starknet ecosystem by providing the tools, resources, and support needed to create scalable, secure, and transformative solutions that drive the adoption of a reinvented digital world. The Foundation is led by Executive Director James Strudwick.
The Foundation was launched in November 2022.
Starknet is a permissionless decentralised Validity-Rollup (also known as a “ZK-Rollup”). A Validity-Rollup is a type of blockchain scaling solution that processes transactions off the main chain, then sends back a cryptographic proof to confirm everything was done correctly. This lets the network inherit the security of the main chain while increasing speed and lowering costs. Unlike Optimistic Rollups, which assume transactions are valid unless challenged, Validity-Rollups prove correctness upfront using cryptographic proofs.
It began as an Ethereum Layer 2, inheriting Ethereum’s security and composability, but is evolving into a multi-settlement layer that will anchor to multiple blockchains - starting with Bitcoin. This approach aims to unify the largest blockchain ecosystems, enabling shared liquidity, broader interoperability, and applications that span chains without compromising on security or decentralisation.
Starknet relies on the safest and most scalable cryptographic proof system – STARK (Scalable Transparent Argument of Knowledge). In plain English, STARKs are advanced mathematical proofs that let one party prove to another that a computation was correct, without revealing all the details, and with extremely high scalability.
In plain English: Starknet is like a fast lane built on top of blockchains such as Ethereum (and soon Bitcoin). It bundles lots of transactions together, proves they’re correct using advanced maths (ZK proofs), and sends them to the settlement layer for security. This means cheaper fees, faster transactions, and no compromise on safety.
Starknet technology has been developed by Starkware. Starkware was founded in 2018 by Eli Ben-Sasson (co-inventor of STARK, previously professor of Computer Science at Technion and founding scientist of Zcash), Uri Kolodny (serial entrepreneur), Michael Riabzev (co-inventor of STARK), and Alessandro Chiesa (founding scientist of Zcash and Professor at École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne). Eli currently serves on the board of Starknet Foundation.
What’s the difference between Starknet Foundation and Starkware?
While Starkware built the technology, the Starknet Foundation is an independent non-profit entity that now stewards the Starknet ecosystem. Our role is to support the network’s growth, decentralisation, and community - funding public goods, enabling developers, and shaping governance in an open, transparent way. In crypto, a non-profit is not like a traditional charity you might picture - instead of being under-resourced and slow, we are well-funded and operate with the urgency, ambition, and execution speed of a high-growth startup, while staying true to our public-good mission.
Starkware, by contrast, is a private company focused on advancing STARK-based scaling technology. It continues to contribute to Starknet’s core development, but also builds other products and services. In short: Starkware is the original inventor and a key builder, while the Starknet Foundation is the neutral coordinator ensuring the network thrives long term.
We work closely with Starkware and other core contributors through shared priorities, aligned roadmaps, and joint initiatives that ensure the technology continues to evolve while adoption grows.
Starkware and Starknet Foundation are two separate companies, both with their own team, way of working, workspaces, leadership, culture, operating entities, mandate, and purpose.
TL;DR: Starkware builds the tech; the Starknet Foundation ensures the network grows, stays fair, and serves everyone, while Starknet itself is expanding from Ethereum to a multi-chain settlement layer.