Max Resnick, ex-ConsenSys exec, joins Anza to improve Solana’s protocol

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As a seasoned crypto investor with a knack for recognizing talent, I find Max Resnick’s move to Anza both intriguing and promising. Having followed his work closely at ConsenSys, I can attest to his deep understanding of blockchain mechanics and his ability to drive impactful research. His decision to join forces with Anza, a team he praises as “extremely cracked,” indicates a strong belief in Solana’s potential.

Max Resnick, who previously worked as a blockchain researcher for ConsenSys, has recently moved to Anza, a division dedicated to Research and Development specifically focusing on the Solana blockchain, with the aim of enhancing Solana’s underlying protocol.

In a recent announcement, Resnick expressed his enthusiasm about joining forces with the Anza team. He outlined his intentions to focus on Solana’s protocol by creating specifications, emphasizing fee markets and consensus implementations during his initial three months at this new role. In his statement, Resnick commented, “Anza developers are truly top-notch, and I can’t wait to collaborate with them.” Since its establishment in 2024, Anza has been continually refining the Solana (SOL) network.

Resnick continues his affiliation with ConsenSys in a research advisory role. Over the past two years, he’s worked closely with the Special Mechanisms Group at ConsenSys, praising their significant contributions to blockchain research.

It’s evident that I made it clear during our meeting in August that, should events unfold on Ethereum as I anticipated they wouldn’t, I would pursue those actions elsewhere instead.

— Max Resnick (@MaxResnick1) December 9, 2024

In my subsequent remarks, I emphasized that I’ve always been transparent about my intentions. I’ve been willing to explore other avenues if the Ethereum community didn’t align with my objectives for my research.

Why is this necessary for Solana?

As Solana grows, it frequently faces criticism due to network congestion issues, which pose numerous problems for users. A key point of contention is its fee market. While Solana’s adaptable pricing system keeps transaction fees low, it results in uneven resource distribution. This misalignment has resulted in inefficiencies that have noticeably impacted user experience, especially as interest in decentralized finance, non-fungible tokens, and other Web3 applications skyrockets.

Last month, I tackled the emerging problems by integrating updates within version 1.18.11 back in April. More recently, on December 3rd, it came to my attention that the web3.js library encountered some vulnerabilities.

A member of the Solana NPM organization, who had publishing permissions, accidentally opened and clicked on a phishing email. This action allowed an attacker to gain access to the member’s account credentials, including their username, password, and two-factor authentication details. In response, the NPM registry staff completely removed versions 1.95.6 and 1.95.7 from the NPM registry.

Addressing the challenges of security, decentralization, and dependability in networks using proof-of-history structures is vital for Solana. Resnick aims to develop a refined protocol with precise specifications to address these problems, particularly focusing on enhancing fee markets and making advancements in consensus mechanisms.

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2024-12-10 10:00