The Untold Story of Uri Kolodny and StarkWare’s Rise

• Uri Kolodny co-founded StarkWare to scale Ethereum using STARK-based zk-rollups and a custom language called Cairo.
• He stepped down as CEO for personal reasons but remains active in StarkNet’s growth and Ethereum community engagement.

Among the thousands of names vying to define Ethereum’s future, one has emerged with an unconventional approach—Uri Kolodny.

The bespectacled man who once worked on advanced medical devices is now known as the key figure behind StarkWare, the zk-rollup technology developer that helped Ethereum get out of its transaction-heavy jam. But his story is not that simple. Kolodny’s path to crypto actually started in an unlikely place: the operating room.

He founded OmniGuide, a startup in the field of optical medical technology used in surgical procedures. Then somehow, from the world of fiber cables and surgical instruments, he turned to blockchain and cryptography. Many assume he was a mathematical engineer from the start, but his background is colorful: a Hebrew University computer science graduate and an MBA from MIT Sloan.

It’s safe to say that he has one foot in the technical world and the other in business strategy. That combination eventually led him to the StarkWare desk in 2018, alongside top cryptographer Eli Ben-Sasson.

Scaling Ethereum Was Just the Start for Uri Kolodny

StarkWare is not his first project, but it is probably his most daring. The basic idea is simple: to make Ethereum breathe again through STARK technology—a lightweight, secure proof-of-concept method that can lighten the network load without sacrificing security.

Through StarkEx, they offer a zk-rollup solution for platforms like dYdX and ImmutableX. But what made his name even more famous was StarkNet—an Ethereum layer-2 that runs on a new programming language called Cairo. It was not an easy choice, because creating your own language in an established ecosystem like Ethereum could be considered reckless.

But Uri and his team kept going. They managed to attract major investors, including Vitalik Buterin, who said he was interested immediately after intensive discussions in Shenzhen. The funds raised reached hundreds of millions of dollars. In 2022, StarkWare’s valuation touched US$8 billion. This is not just a startup, but has become an important backbone for the Ethereum ecosystem.

However, in January 2024, Uri Kolodny suddenly stepped down as CEO. Not because of a crisis, nor because of internal drama. The reason was much more personal: family health. He conveyed the decision in a public announcement that felt warm and unpretentious.

“I remain STARK-pilled,” he said. He may have stepped down from his executive position, but not from the vision he built himself. He still sits on the board and is part of the StarkNet Foundation.

From Storytelling to StarkNet: His Work Isn’t Over

On the other hand, there is one interesting thing about Uri that is rarely seen in the crypto world: his storytelling ability. He appeared on several major podcasts, not only discussing technology but also explaining the complex concept of zk-rollup in a style that laypeople can understand.

He did not come across as a typical CEO talking about metrics and roadmaps, but more like a teacher explaining a puzzle. His humble and relaxed approach is what actually strengthens his position in the Ethereum community.

Furthermore, even though he is no longer in daily operational roles, Uri’s presence is still felt. He is still involved in discussions about the future of rollups, open source, and developing the developer community. StarkWare itself continues to host developer sessions with hundreds of attendees, from Tel Aviv to San Francisco. The StarkNet ecosystem is now growing at a pace that is hard to ignore.