Eli Ben-Sasson (StarkWare)
Overview
Eli Ben-Sasson is an Israeli computer scientist and entrepreneur, renowned for his significant contributions to cryptographic technologies, particularly in the domain of zero-knowledge proofs. He is a co-founder and the current CEO of StarkWare Industries, a company that develops solutions for blockchain scalability, privacy, and decentralized applications through the use of STARK-based cryptographic proofs. Ben-Sasson is also a prominent figure in the academic community, having made substantial contributions to the development of zk-STARK, a zero-knowledge proof technology that provides scalable, privacy-preserving computations.
Recent Developments
- February 2025: Eli Ben-Sasson announced a 20% increase in Starknet's developer community, reaching a peak number since January 2023, indicating a resurgence in development activity on the platform.
- January 2025: StarkWare launched "Appchains" on Starknet, an initiative allowing developers to create customized blockchains using StarkWare's "SN Stack," aimed at enhancing Starknet's capacity by offering side lanes for faster and cheaper transactions.
- November 2024: Starknet officially launched staking on its mainnet, becoming the first Layer 2 network to introduce such a mechanism, which marked a significant milestone in its decentralization journey.
- July 2024: Starknet introduced parallel transaction execution on its testnet, demonstrating a major enhancement in its processing capabilities.
- May 2024: StarkWare announced plans to extend its zero-knowledge scaling solutions to the Bitcoin network without creating a new token or forking Starknet, leveraging technology that supports both Bitcoin and Ethereum.
- Early 2024: Starknet faced a four-hour outage, halting block production, which was considered its first major operational challenge. The network has since implemented measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.
Personal Information
| Attribute | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Eli Ben-Sasson |
| Born | Israel |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Occupation | Computer Scientist, Entrepreneur |
| Known For | Co-founding StarkWare Industries, zk-STARKS |
| Education | PhD in Theoretical Computer Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
Early Life and Education
Eli Ben-Sasson was born in Israel, where he developed an early interest in mathematics and computer science. He pursued his undergraduate studies in computer science at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Ben-Sasson continued his academic journey at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he completed his PhD in theoretical computer science, focusing on probabilistically checkable proofs and computational integrity. His academic prowess led him to hold research positions at prestigious institutions such as Harvard University, MIT, and the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, where he further honed his expertise in cryptographic systems.
Career and Notable Achievements
- 2001-2005: Conducted research at Harvard University and MIT, contributing to foundational cryptographic theories.
- 2010-2018: Served as a professor at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, where he focused on cryptographic research and teaching.
- 2018: Co-founded StarkWare Industries with the mission to enhance blockchain scalability using STARK technology.
- zk-STARKS: Co-developer of zk-STARKS, a cryptographic proof technology that ensures privacy and scalability without the need for a trusted setup.
- StarkEx and Starknet: Launched platforms that offer scalable solutions for Ethereum, widely adopted by various decentralized applications.
Related Topics
Coinbase
Coinbase has interacted with technologies developed by StarkWare, particularly in exploring Layer 2 solutions to improve scalability and transaction efficiency.
StarkWare Token
The Starknet token (STRK) is integral to Starknet’s ecosystem, facilitating governance and staking within its network.
Conclusion
Eli Ben-Sasson is a key figure in the field of blockchain technology and cryptography, contributing significant advancements through his work with StarkWare Industries. His efforts in developing zk-STARKS and deploying scalable blockchain solutions have positioned StarkWare as a leader in the industry. Looking to the future, Ben-Sasson’s focus remains on expanding the capabilities of blockchain technology to meet the growing demands for scalability and privacy, potentially impacting various sectors that rely on blockchain infrastructure.