Stefan Szakal joins Elrond as Head of Core Applications

From inception, the Elrond Network has focused on adding substantial value to the blockchain ecosystem. Rather than focusing on one simple use case, we have taken on two distinctly complex and fundamental challenges, which if solved, could open a new growth phase for the entire space.

Going live with the first state sharded architecture was a major milestone, and the result of an extensive and concentrated effort from our team, community, and partners.

Soon after, one by one, plenty of other unique innovations, core applications and tools, have come into place, setting the stage for a rapid bootstrapping process, and preparing the foundation for a more open, transparent, high-performance and inexpensive financial infrastructure for the world.

Steadily, efforts have been adding up, placing Elrond in an exceptional position – like a new and bright spark that is about to light up the sky and path during a clear night.

To further strengthen and double down on our commitment to continue the expansion of existing core Elrond applications, after more that one year of productive explorations around different product directions, I am excited to welcome Stefan Szakal - a passionate serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in designing products, user experience and a great background in leading teams - as Head of Core Applications at Elrond.

“I feel so privileged to embark on this journey with the Elrond team, to help bring efforts to new levels. There are many things we’ve been working on, and soon they will come to life.” said Stefan.

Stefan began his entrepreneurial career in 2001 when he founded his first company, the X3 design studio, through which he won some of Romania’s most prestigious design awards alongside his team, with their work being featured in 35+ books.

In 2012, he founded [e-spres-oh], which he led as CEO, expanding, building, and contributing to many products around the world. By 2018, Stefan refocused his efforts on the food tech industry with a new startup called Homefresh. Ultimately, he discovered Elrond, the blockchain space, and the emerging Web3 ecosystem which led him deep down the rabbit hole.

Stefan’s keen eye for recognizing potential, expertise in consumer-facing products and understanding of design frameworks and team dynamics, will be a key asset for our next phase, as we prepare to expand and elevate the Elrond core applications.

We are builders. Elrond is in an exceptional position. And we have just begun.