Aave Transitions Lens Protocol to Mask Network, Refocusing on DeFi Ambitions
Aave has handed over the management of the Lens Protocol to Mask Network, marking a strategic shift that narrows Aave’s focus back to decentralized finance (DeFi). This move puts the next phase of decentralized social development in the hands of a team more focused on consumer-centric implementation. The transition was confirmed with statements from Aave and Lens founder Stani Kulechov, as well as Mask Network.
Aave Retains Advisory Role, Hands Over Lens App Development to Mask Network
Kulechov said Aave’s role at Lens will now be limited to technical advisory support, describing the move as a realignment rather than a retreat. He explained that Aave initially expanded beyond on-chain financial primitives and created social primitives that users could own, which led to the creation of Lens. The original goal was to create a neutral social infrastructure that developers could rely on to build consumer-grade applications that could reach mainstream users.
With this foundation now in place, responsibility shifts to Mask Network, which will lead development at the application and product levels as Aave returns to its core competency in DeFi. Both Aave and Lens emphasized that the move was not an acquisition, sale, or exit. There was no evidence of a transfer of protocol ownership, intellectual property, treasury, or governance control.
Lens Enters Its Next Chapter as Decentralized Social Networks Gain Momentum
Since its launch, Lens has become one of the most widely used decentralized social protocols. Early acceptance among builders was quick: Shortly after launch, more than 50 projects were built on Lens. As of early 2023, the protocol had more than 100,000 profiles created and supported more than 120 applications. Lens later migrated to the Polygon mainnet, rolled out V2 and V3 upgrades, and launched Lens Chain, a purpose-built network built on ZKsync and Avail that aims to improve scalability, speed, and monetization.
The handover to Mask Network comes at a time when decentralized social networks are gaining renewed attention across the crypto industry. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said he plans to spend more time on decentralized social platforms in 2026, arguing that better mass communication tools are needed and that decentralization enables competition by allowing multiple customers to build on shared data layers. Mask Network founder Suji Yan described the transition as in line with the cypherpunk values at the heart of crypto, saying decentralized social networks should be part of everyday life and not limited to financial products.
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