Mask Network Takes Over Lens Protocol

Mask Network has announced its role as steward for the next phase of Lens Protocol's development, reorienting decentralized social networks from infrastructure to consumer adoption and mass acceptance.Avara (the parent company of Aave) will continue in an advisory role, while Mask takes the lead in product development and consumer promotion.

Project Background

Lens Protocol, launched in 2022 by Aave founder Stani Kulechov, is a decentralized social graph on blockchain that enables the creation of social apps with a focus on user-owned data. The protocol has proven that decentralized social networks can operate at scale, with a modular structure, on-chain content storage, and stable gas fees via the GHO token. Lens is an L2 blockchain optimized for SocialFi, providing scalability and low costs for decentralized social apps.

Mask Network, founded in 2017 by Suji Yan, has nearly a decade of experience in building decentralized apps for everyday users. The project is known for Web2-to-Web3 integrations, products like Orb and Firefly, and support for Mastodon – a leading decentralized social network with approximately 1.9 million monthly active users. Mask operates instances mstdn.jp and mastodon.cloud, and in 2022 acquired Pawoo.net, one of the largest Mastodon instances. The Mask ecosystem is governed by MaskDAO and includes apps like Next.ID, Web3.bio, Firefly.social, and the recently joined Orb.club. Through its venture arm Bonfire Union, Mask invests $100 million in 120 projects in decentralized social networks, infrastructure, and creator economies.

Deal Details

According to the official announcement, the transition aims to shift Lens's focus from building open infrastructure to creating consumer apps. Mask Network emphasized that the next stage is not about more protocols, but about building products that people actually use, fostering shared culture, and a thriving community.

"Mask's mission is to make decentralized social networks accessible, intuitive, and ready for real use. This product focus is exactly what Lens needs to move from infrastructure to mass adoption," said Suji Yan, founder of Mask Network.

"Lens has fulfilled its core mission: proving that user-owned decentralized social networks can work at scale on open infrastructure. Now the next stage is consumer adoption, and Mask's product leadership is key," noted Stani Kulechov, founder and CEO of Avara.

"Lens proved the infrastructure. Orb shows what's possible on top of it. With MaskDAO, we're putting culture and ownership on-chain – creating social products people want to use," added Kimmo Sirén, founder of Orb.

Lens will remain open, permissionless, and composable, with Aave Labs supporting standards, governance, and ecosystem integrity.

Market and Community Reaction

The news has sparked discussions in the crypto community. On X, numerous posts have appeared about the transition, emphasizing the potential for SocialFi growth. For example, users note that this allows Aave to focus on DeFi, while Mask Network handles consumer products.

As of January 21, 2026, the MASK token price is approximately $0.62 USD, with a 24-hour increase of 0.9% and a market cap of $61.6 million. Daily trading volume is around $17 million. This indicates a moderately positive market reaction, though the price has fallen 13% over the week.

Future Plans

With Mask at the helm, the emphasis will be on execution: building consumer products, scaling distribution, and onboarding a new generation of users. This includes prioritizing design, performance, and usability to move from early adopters to mainstream audiences. The transition is already underway, as seen with Orb, which reached 50,000 monthly users in early 2025 thanks to viral features for creators. Firefly collaborates with projects like Fileverse, Snapshot, Polymarket, and Mirror, earning praise from Vitalik Buterin for its UX.