Update Jan. 23, 9:00 am UTC: This article has been updated to add comments from an Aave spokesperson.
Decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol Aave transferred stewardship of the social infrastructure protocol Lens to Mask Network, shifting responsibility for advancing consumer-facing social applications while retaining Lens as open-source infrastructure.
Statements from both Lens and Aave founder Stani Kulechov confirmed the transition. On Tuesday, Kulechov said in an X post that Aave’s role will narrow to technical advisory support as it refocuses on DeFi.
He added that Mask Network, a Web3 company focused on integrating blockchain features into social and messaging platforms, will be leading the next phase of development for Lens, particularly at the application and product layer.
While the announcement framed the move as a change in “stewardship,” neither Lens nor Aave characterized it as an acquisition or exit from social infrastructure.
An Aave spokesperson told Cointelegraph that Lens’ infrastructure phase is effectively complete, with responsibility now shifting fully to Mask Network. “All functions move to Mask,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson clarified that the transition includes the transfer of Lens-related assets while preserving its open design.
“The IP, chain, website and Lens X handle moved to Mask, and Lens remains permissionless infrastructure that supports personal identity and ownership over the social graph and data,” the spokesperson told Cointelegraph.
Source: Stani Kulechov
How responsibilities shift under the Lens transition
Under the new setup, Mask Network assumes responsibility for consumer-facing execution, including product roadmap decisions, user experience design and day-to-day operational leadership for social applications built on Lens.
This includes advancing apps such as Orb and shaping how Lens-based products are positioned and distributed to end users.
Lens and Aave said the protocol’s underlying components, including its onchain social graph, profiles,…
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