Aave Transfers Lens Protocol to Mask Network, Strengthening Focus on DeFi

Aave has officially transitioned the management of the Lens Protocol to Mask Network, signaling a strategic pivot that reinforces Aave’s dedication to decentralized finance (DeFi).

Key Takeaways

Aave has transferred management of the Lens Protocol to Mask Network to enhance its focus on DeFi.
Aave will serve only as a technical advisor going forward.
The move is not an acquisition, and Lens will remain open-source.
Mask Network will lead consumer-focused development of Lens applications.
Lens aims to integrate decentralized social elements into daily life, moving beyond just financial applications.

Aave Transfers Lens Protocol to Mask Network, Strengthening Focus on DeFi

This change will enable a team more centered on consumer-facing functions to guide the next stages of decentralized social development.

The announcement was made this week by both Aave and Lens founder Stani Kulechov, alongside representatives from Mask Network.

Aave's New Role in Lens Development

Kulechov expressed that Aave’s involvement with Lens will now primarily be as a technical advisor, framing the shift as a refocusing effort rather than a withdrawal.

Initially, Aave extended its reach beyond on-chain financial assets to create social utilities that users could own, leading to the genesis of Lens.

According to Kulechov, the goal was to establish neutral social infrastructure for developers to create consumer-grade applications that could effectively engage mainstream audiences.

With this infrastructure now established, the development responsibilities will transition to Mask Network, which will lead product and application development while Aave returns its focus to its expertise in DeFi.

Both Aave and Lens clarified that this move is not an acquisition, sale, or exit. There are no indications of any transfer of protocol ownership, intellectual property, treasuries, or governance power.

Key components of Lens, such as its on-chain social graph, profiles, follows, and smart contracts, will continue to be open-source and permissionless.

Aave stated it will keep contributing to protocol-level decisions, but it will no longer oversee product development or manage social applications directly.

Mask Network, recognized for its work in integrating blockchain features into social and messaging platforms, will now take the lead on consumer-oriented execution.

This includes making decisions about the product roadmap, refining user experience, and managing day-to-day operations of social applications built on Lens, including applications like Orb.

In announcing this transition, Lens emphasized that the next phase of the ecosystem demands less experimental protocol work and more emphasis on coherent social experiences that can function at scale and meet user needs.

Lens, which was launched by Aave in 2022, is a Web3-centric social protocol designed to empower users with ownership over their social identities and content via on-chain profiles and NFTs.

From the start, its goal was to provide infrastructure rather than serve as a standalone social network.

Lens Ventures into New Horizons with Decentralized Social Growth

Since its inception, Lens has become a leading decentralized social protocol. It saw quick adoption from early builders, with over 50 projects emerging on Lens shortly after its launch.

By early 2023, the protocol boasted more than 100,000 minted profiles and supported over 120 applications.

Lens later transitioned to the Polygon mainnet, implemented V2 and V3 upgrades, and introduced Lens Chain—a specialized network powered by ZKsync and Avail to enhance scalability, speed, and monetization.

Lens utilizes GHO for gas, enabling nearly instant and affordable transactions, while also incorporating decentralized storage via Grove, alongside features like Family Accounts.

The handover to Mask Network occurs at a time when decentralized social is regaining traction within the crypto space.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin indicated his intention to dedicate more time to decentralized social platforms in 2026, advocating for improved mass communication tools and noting how decentralization fosters competition by allowing various clients to develop over shared data layers.

Suji Yan, founder of Mask Network, articulated that this transition aligns with the core cypherpunk values central to cryptocurrency. He believes that decentralized social should seamlessly integrate into everyday life, rather than being limited to financial offerings.

Yan stated that Mask Network aims to develop consumer-ready SocialFi applications that transform Lens from mere infrastructure into practical daily use.