Does Starknet own SHARP or developed it? if not the who and where it came from?
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Executive summary
Starknet does not appear in the provided sources as the original creator or sole owner of SHARP; SHARP (the Shared Proving framework) is described as a StarkWare technology that is used by Starknet and other rollups [1] [2]. The SHARP verifier is a shared component that can be changed by a StarkWare-controlled multisig with an eight-day delay, meaning StarkWare retains operational control over that shared proving layer today [2].
1. Who built SHARP — the short answer
The sources identify SHARP as a Shared Prover / Shared Proving framework coming from StarkWare’s work and described in Starknet materials; StarkWare is presented as the developer of SHARP [1]. Starknet documentation and blog posts discuss SHARP as the shared proving service that integrates provers like Stwo and is used to verify state for Starknet and other StarkEx/SN Stack rollups [1] [2].
2. Where SHARP sits in the ecosystem — shared infrastructure, not a single-rollup feature
SHARP is a shared verifier used across multiple StarkEx and SN Stack Layer 2s, not an element limited to Starknet alone. L2BEAT reporting explicitly notes that the shared SHARP verifier is used for state validation across rollups and that changes to it are governed by a 2-of-4 “SHARP Multisig” with an 8‑day delay — underscoring that SHARP is cross-rollup infrastructure rather than exclusive Starknet code [2].
3. Starknet’s relationship to SHARP — heavy user, not sole owner
Starknet materials describe SHARP in the context of StarkWare’s vision for zero‑knowledge proving and show Starknet plans to integrate next‑gen provers (Stwo) into the SHARP framework [1] [3]. That language frames Starknet as a primary beneficiary and user of SHARP but does not claim Starknet itself developed SHARP; instead, the posts attribute the technology to StarkWare and its ongoing prover work [1] [3].
4. Who controls upgrades and why that matters
Operational control over the SHARP verifier is not purely community-run, according to L2BEAT: a 2/4 StarkWare multisig can change the verifier with an 8‑day delay, and governance split across security councils and multisigs affects rollup upgrade powers [2]. That arrangement gives StarkWare (or entities controlling those multisigs) an outsized upgrade role in shared proving — a centralized lever that matters for security and decentralization debates.
5. Origins of the provers that plug into SHARP — StarkWare and partners
StarkWare is credited with building successive provers (Stone, ethStark, and the next‑gen Stwo) and with jointly developing mathematical breakthroughs with partners such as Polygon Labs; those provers are intended for integration into SHARP and Starknet’s stack [3] [1]. The documentation and blog posts frame Stwo as a StarkWare-developed prover that will be integrated into SHARP for Starknet [3] [1].
6. Alternate perspectives and implicit agendas in the sources
Starknet- and StarkWare-authored materials emphasize performance gains, decentralization roadmaps, and open‑sourcing plans for provers like Stwo, which advances a narrative that SHARP will be an evolving, community-oriented service [4] [3]. Independent reporting (L2BEAT) emphasizes the current multisig governance model and the practical centralization risk this creates — a counterpoint to Starknet’s decentralization messaging [2]. Those differences reflect underlying agendas: Starknet/StarkWare promoting technical progress and roadmap optimism, and third‑party analysts highlighting governance and control realities.
7. What the available sources do not say
Available sources do not mention Starknet “owning” SHARP as a distinct legal or proprietary owner separate from StarkWare; they do not document an explicit transfer of SHARP ownership to Starknet Foundation or a fully decentralized governance handover [1] [2]. Sources also do not provide independent third‑party confirmation of the exact legal ownership of SHARP outside the multisig governance descriptions [2].
8. Bottom line for readers
SHARP is presented in the reporting as StarkWare’s shared proving framework used by Starknet and other rollups; Starknet is an intended user and integrator of provers (including StarkWare’s Stwo) into SHARP, but the shared verifier and upgrade control mechanisms are currently governed in ways that keep StarkWare (via multisigs) materially influential [1] [2] [3]. If your question is about legal ownership or a completed decentralization handoff to the Starknet community, available sources do not document that outcome [2] [1].