BlockBeats News, February 15 – Eli Ben-Sasson, Co-Founder and CEO of Starkware, recently clarified Starknet's roadmap and addressed community concerns regarding the early unlock of STRK tokens for investors and early contributors during an interview with Decrypt.
Starknet’s Unique Approach to Token Distribution
Ben-Sasson explained that Starknet's airdrop model differs from traditional approaches, emphasizing that this reflects Starkware’s strategic advantage rather than a weakness.
- Developer Commitment: Users care whether Starknet’s ecosystem developers will remain active long-term. Ben-Sasson assured that Starkware’s 150 employees (and growing) are solely focused on advancing Starknet’s growth—even turning down prestigious academic roles to prioritize this mission.
- Investor Unlocks: On April 15, just two months after STRK’s launch, over 1.3 billion STRK tokens (13.1% of total supply) allocated to investors and early contributors will become transferable. Futures trading suggests an estimated market impact exceeding $2.15 billion.
Why Delaying Lock-Ups Isn’t the Solution
Ben-Sasson dismissed concerns about investors dumping tokens in April, stating:
"Extending lock-up periods wouldn’t prevent sell-offs—this risk could arise a year later too. We believe contributors earned their rewards fairly, and our team hasn’t exploited the airdrop structure. When building for the long term, unnecessary delays aren’t the right approach."
Key Takeaways:
- Transparency: Starkware prioritized immediate contributor rewards over artificial lock-up extensions.
- Long-Term Focus: The team’s actions align with sustaining Starknet’s development, not short-term token price stability.
- Market Confidence: STRK’s futures activity indicates strong initial liquidity demand.
FAQs
Q: Why unlock tokens so early?
A: Starkware believes early rewards incentivize long-term network participation better than prolonged lock-ups.
Q: Won’t massive unlocks crash STRK’s price?
A: The team argues sell-offs could happen anytime; their decision reflects confidence in Starknet’s fundamentals.
Q: How does this affect Starknet’s roadmap?
A: Development continues uninterrupted—over 150 employees are dedicated to scaling the network.
👉 Explore Starknet’s latest updates
Starkware’s strategy highlights its commitment to balancing fairness with growth—a model other L2 projects may study closely.