Co-founder of StarkWare, Eli Ben-Sasson, launches a "shocking" DeFi project on Starknet: beta tester registration is open.
Eli Ben-Sasson, co-founder and CEO of StarkWare, has announced a search for beta testers for his new DeFi project on the Starknet network. According to him, the project will be "shocking." Applications are being accepted via direct messages from anyone wishing to join the testing.
For now, details about the project itself remain a mystery. Ben-Sasson simply suggested that interested parties write to him directly, and later thanked the community for the "incredibly large" number of responses. The developer accompanied the announcement with the standard disclaimer: this is not an investment recommendation, and everyone should conduct their own research.
Who is Eli Ben-Sasson?
Eli Ben-Sasson is not just a marketer, but a scientist and professor of cryptography. He is a co-founder of StarkWare, which created the Starknet network. His contribution to the industry extends far beyond a single project. Ben-Sasson was involved in the creation of Zcash, the first major private cryptocurrency built on zero-knowledge proofs (a method that allows verifying a fact without revealing the data itself). The project emerged in 2016, and analysts note that it took the rest of the industry about five years to "catch up with this idea."
Additionally, Ben-Sasson is a co-inventor of the ZK-STARK proof system, which underpins Starknet and has influenced the entire field of zero-knowledge technology. This is not just about participation or contribution—Ben-Sasson actually developed the mathematics that makes ZK-rollups (blockchain scaling solutions) possible.
What is known about the new project?
There are currently no specifics about the new project. Ben-Sasson is only accepting direct messages from potential beta testers, and the functionality or purpose of the service can only be inferred from his own description—"shocking."
After a wave of responses, Ben-Sasson stated that those who want to check if there are still spots for testers should write to the user with the handle 0xVegabond. This way, he redirected the flow of applications without revealing additional details about the project.
The announcement is more notable for the author's status than for any known facts about the product. Given Ben-Sasson's role in the development of zero-knowledge technologies, his new project on Starknet has attracted heightened community attention even before its essence has been revealed.
My expert opinion: This level of secrecy and the reference to a "shocking" effect is a classic move to draw attention to an innovation that could revolutionize the perception of DeFi. Given Ben-Sasson's mathematical genius, I expect the project to be related to a new level of scaling or privacy that was previously unattainable. The market should take a closer look at this story.