Uri Kolodny Transitions from StarkWare Leadership Amid Family Priorities

Uri Kolodny has announced his departure from the CEO position at StarkWare, the Ethereum-focused scaling and privacy technology company. The leadership change comes as Kolodny prioritizes family health matters. Eli Ben-Sasson, who serves as StarkWare president, will assume the CEO role while Kolodny transitions to the board of directors, maintaining his strategic involvement with the organization.

Founding Vision and Six Years of Growth

Uri Kolodny and Eli Ben-Sasson established StarkWare in 2008 with an ambitious mission: to unlock practical applications of the STARK cryptographic system that Ben-Sasson had co-developed. The company has evolved significantly since its inception, achieving an $8 billion valuation and assembling a team of over 150 engineers and researchers. The STARK-based technology stack created by the team now forms the infrastructure backbone for a rapidly expanding blockchain ecosystem, particularly within Ethereum’s scaling solutions.

“I remain utterly STARK-pilled, but I’m leaving the CEO post to meet the health needs of my family,” Kolodny stated. “The company, and the tech stack it has built, are more advanced after six years than I could have ever dreamed.”

Leadership Continuity and Broader Impact

Eli Ben-Sasson’s appointment ensures continuity in StarkWare’s technical direction and strategic vision. Ben-Sasson brings deep expertise as both co-founder and co-inventor of the STARK system, positioning him naturally for expanded leadership responsibilities. The transition maintains the company’s momentum in advancing Layer 2 scaling solutions for Ethereum.

Beyond his departure from the executive role, Uri Kolodny will remain active in the company’s governance. He continues serving on StarkWare’s board of directors alongside Ben-Sasson, Harish Devarajan, and Matt Huang. Additionally, Kolodny maintains his board position at the Starknet Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing Starknet’s vision as a decentralized, permissionless Ethereum Layer 2 Validity Rollup.

Kolodny expressed confidence in the team’s ability to sustain growth under new leadership: “Led by Eli and the team of 150+ gigabrains, I’m positive that StarkWare will continue to push boundaries of what is possible in scaling Ethereum.” This statement reflects his ongoing commitment to the mission even as his operational responsibilities shift.