Catenaa, Monday, January 26, 2026-Mask Network announced it will take over Lens Protocol, the decentralized SocialFi platform originally launched by AAVE founder Stani Kulechov in early 2022.
Lens, which aimed to function as a Twitter-on-Ethereum, had grown to support over 110,000 social media profiles and hundreds of applications on Polygon.
Kulechov described Lens as neutral social infrastructure with onchain rails and decentralized data storage designed to enable consumer-grade applications.
Mask Network said its goal is to move beyond protocol development toward building products that mainstream users actually adopt, focusing on community engagement and cultural growth.
Mask Network has experience in decentralized social ecosystems, including Mastodon, where it acquired the second-largest server in 2022 to foster wider SocialFi adoption.
The organization intends to leverage this expertise to guide Lens Protocol’s evolution and expand its user base.
The shift reflects a broader trend in the SocialFi sector, where several projects have pivoted from building social-first networks.
Last year, the Farcaster team transitioned from a Twitter-like platform to a wallet-focused service after years of limited mainstream adoption.
Mask Network’s stewardship marks a strategic move to operationalize Lens for real-world use, emphasizing product development and community-building rather than launching new protocols, signaling a potential turning point for decentralized social applications.
