Co-founder of StarkWare launches a "shocking" DeFi project on Starknet: beta tester registration is open
StarkWare co-founder and CEO Eli Ben-Sasson has announced that he is seeking beta testers for his new DeFi project on the Starknet network. According to him, the initiative is "shocking" in nature, and he is accepting applications via direct messages from anyone interested in joining the testing.
At this point, details about the project itself remain confidential. Ben-Sasson simply suggested that interested parties write to him directly, and later thanked the community for the "incredibly large" number of responses. He 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 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 launched in 2016, and according to community estimates, it took the rest of the industry about five years to "catch up with this idea."
Additionally, Ben-Sasson co-invented the ZK-STARK proof system, which underpins Starknet and has influenced the entire field of zero-knowledge technology. As experts emphasize, this is not about mere participation or contribution — Ben-Sasson "effectively developed the mathematics that makes ZK-rollups possible" (blockchain scaling solutions).
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 the 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 redirected the flow of applications without revealing additional details about the project.
The announcement is more notable for the author's status than for 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 the details are revealed.
Cryptalist analytical commentary: This level of secrecy and direct recruitment of testers by the founder himself is a clear sign that the project could be truly revolutionary for the DeFi sector. Starknet, as one of the leading ZK-rollup platforms, receives a powerful boost for development specifically in the decentralized finance segment. Investors and developers should closely monitor developments: such announcements from figures of Ben-Sasson's caliber often precede the emergence of technologies that change the landscape of the entire industry.