Global Overview

Today, much of our technological infrastructure is in the hands of big tech companies and nation states, who can easily use it against us. Each of us deserves the freedom to interact online without worrying that the technology we rely on can mislead, monitor, or censor us.

At StarkWare, we are developing a whole new kind of online environment infrastructure, which we call the Integrity Web. We envision this as a layer of Internet architecture that puts you back in control and truly owns everything.

What can the integrity network bring us?

The Integrity Network will ensure that businesses and governments live up to their promises when they interact with us online. It will be verified in such a way that even businesses and governments cannot circumvent or subvert it. Our vision is to build a world where "integrity" can be publicly displayed and maintained by everyone.

By integrity, we mean that even without supervision, everyone can still do the right thing. We are not naive and know that human nature alone cannot achieve this, but mathematics and cryptography can. The concept of the integrity network does not rely on people making promises that they will not mislead you, censor you, or monitor you, but relies on cryptography deployed globally on the blockchain that makes it impossible for them to do any of the above things.

The Integrity Network will be a secure, transparent, and decentralized online environment where trust is built into the system and cannot be bought or subverted.

mission

The world we want to create

Our goal is to realize the integrity network, connect and expand different blockchains, enable them to realize their potential and empower individuals. We want to build a world where everyone can truly own their digital behavior, assets, and lives, and the integrity network is the way to achieve this goal.

The unique technology we use

The missing link that stands in the way of this vision is scalability. Until now, achieving large-scale adoption of decentralized networks without compromising the core values of blockchain has been considered impossible.

The ZK-STARK protocol invented by StarkWare changes this. ZK-STARK scales blockchains in a zero-compromise way (see Math Never Lies: Why We Use STARK Scaling for details). ZK-STARK will enable the Integrity Network, and at StarkWare, we are working to develop and popularize blockchain applications for the global real world. We are not only focused on scaling, but also on how to scale. ZK-STARK provides a privacy-preserving path for blockchains, and we use this technology to provide users with an intuitive user experience on the Integrity Network that is as convenient as using an app on a smartphone.

Math Never Lies: Why We Use STARK Extensions

We chose to expand on this with mathematics because mathematics never lies, especially the elegant STARK mathematics mentioned above. We love many properties of STARK proofs, including:

• The design of STARK proofs makes them a perfect solution for scaling systems because they enable anyone with a digital device to verify integrity, not just those with supercomputers and special permissions. This is true decentralization. In this regard, the key feature of STARKs is the asymmetry between those who need integrity proofs (big tech companies) and those who verify and oversee the former (i.e. those who need integrity proofs): the prover must do heavy computational work, which may require expertise and specific infrastructure; however, the clever design of STARKs means that all of us can verify the proofs through common devices such as smartphones, allowing the public to maintain the "integrity" of big tech companies in a transparent way.

• STARK proofs represent the most secure, immutable, and future-proof scaling solution. They also provide a path to privacy for blockchains. For the future of humanity, we deserve to build our infrastructure on the most solid foundation possible, and that means choosing STARKs.

After inventing STARK, we demonstrated its potential to allies and competitors alike. We realized that this great technology could not be limited to our internal use, so we built the Starknet chain to make STARK a global public good. We are happy to see that today, STARK technology is thriving in a decentralized environment, and a vibrant community of developers and enthusiasts has grown autonomously.

Substantial progress made on the Ethereum network; more work still needs to be done on the Bitcoin network

By successfully scaling Ethereum, we have taken a substantial step towards a complete network using the technology we have built so far. We continue to innovate to ensure that Ethereum is scaled in the most efficient and user-friendly way. The next step in our mission is to scale Bitcoin. In addition, we will also achieve trustless interoperability between Bitcoin and Ethereum, allowing the world's two largest blockchains to easily "interoperate".

The potential we are creating goes far beyond the financial sector

As blockchain continues to gain momentum thanks to its scalability, we believe it will revolutionize the financial industry and bring about broader changes. It will truly change the power dynamics between individuals and the technology platforms we use every day.

Today, in order to use the technology platforms that make our lives more convenient, we have to give up our autonomy and data to big tech companies to act on our behalf, custody our assets, and turn us into their commercial products. If we don't agree, we will be technologically obsolete. The Integrity Network will provide us with a new path, and market pressure will drive companies to compete to explore this space. Ownership will return to us, and real alternatives will emerge to serve users who are unwilling to give up their autonomy to big tech companies.

Our Values

These values drive our actions and guide our thinking

• Integrity : Integrity is the foundation of everything. Integrity is in our math, in the technology we build, and in our behavior. We ensure that StarkWare and its team always uphold this value, even when no one is watching.

• Broad adoption : We want STARK-based technology to be widely adopted, across continents, cultures, and social classes. This is not only good for humanity, but also for the technology itself. A diverse and inclusive team and ecosystem can best protect the network from being dominated by any single entity. In other words, the vision of freedom and sovereignty is best achieved through broad adoption.

• Community : Family, friends, and community are the pillars of successful businesses and free societies.

• Meritocracy : Excellence in mathematics and cryptography is our driving force. At StarkWare, merit is more important than hierarchy, and we work with teams dedicated to cutting-edge research and development.

• Generosity : StarkWare is a major player in the industry, but we never rest on our laurels. Instead, we always treat everyone with respect and generosity — partners, competitors, and colleagues. This principle also applies to all levels internally. We welcome others outside of StarkWare to explore STARK technology, learn from criticism, recognize that success comes from diverse contributions, and always give others due credit.

Final Thoughts

We are a unique company: we are committed to solving financial and social problems with math through innovations in mathematics and cryptography. We think about economics, social theory, and mathematics in the stars, while keeping our feet on the ground writing secure and efficient software for developers and end users. With our wisdom, STARK technology, teamwork, and egalitarian spirit, StarkWare can scale any blockchain.