In a significant shift in the crypto world, StarkNet Foundation’s CEO, Diego Oliva, has decided to step down from his position. The news broke early Tuesday morning and has been confirmed by the foundation. Oliva had been at the helm of StarkNet since March 2023 and has been instrumental in shaping the Foundation’s various projects.
Stepping into Oliva’s shoes, James Strudwick will take on the role of Executive Director. A company veteran since January 2024, Strudwick is set to lead the Foundation’s future efforts. His extensive experience on various DeFi, L1, and L2 scaling projects and a deep understanding of the ecosystem make him ideal for this leadership role.
Under Oliva’s solid leadership, StarkNet launched the Provisions project and kick-started numerous ecosystem development initiatives such as “DeFi Spring, Seed Grants and the Catalyst and Propulsion programs”. Additionally, through strategic partnerships, StarkNet signed deals with over 100 infrastructure teams.
Amidst this leadership shift, Strudwick’s primary task will be to maintain the Foundation’s momentum and continue its ongoing projects. Oliva will not step away from the Foundation entirely but will remain for the next month to aid with the smooth transition.
Striking a sour note, the leadership transition comes in the wake of recent controversy within the StarkNet community. Friction arose after 1.3 billion STKR tokens were released for primary contributors and investors immediately as they became tradable. The token distribution unleashed a wave of criticism among developers and node operators who felt short-changed by the allocation process – stirring a storm of dissatisfaction on social media.