Wallets/argent
Argent / Ready
0 standards supported
Overview
Argent (now Ready) is the pioneering smart-contract account-abstraction wallet for Ethereum + Layer-2 chains [1, 2, [global-cro]]. Argent built the first smart wallets for zkSync + StarkNet [3] — pioneering on-chain wallet UX with social recovery, multicall, session keys + flexible authentication.
Distinctive Argent positioning: Argent mobile wallet is the gateway to the zkSync ecosystem with 350,000+ users on zkSync Era waitlist. Argent X (browser wallet) = StarkNet gateway. StarkNet has NATIVE account abstraction — every account IS a smart contract; Argent is a first-class citizen on StarkNet.
Argent rebrand to Ready — focused on doubling down on StarkNet ecosystem with broader vision of bringing on-chain finance to mainstream users via account abstraction.
History
2018 — Argent founded [2] by Itamar Lesuisse + Gerald Goldstein in London.
2018-2020 — Ethereum-mainnet smart-wallet pioneer [1]: Multisig + social recovery + multicall + meta-transactions.
2023 — First smart wallets for zkSync + StarkNet [3].
2023-2024 — 350,000+ users on zkSync Era waitlist [3].
2025 — Argent rebrands to Ready + doubles down on StarkNet [2].
Ownership & operator
Operating entity: Ready Wallet Limited (rebranded from Argent Labs).
Co-founders: Itamar Lesuisse (CEO) + Gerald Goldstein (CPO) — London-based ex-Index Ventures + financial-services veterans.
Major investors: Index Ventures, Paradigm, Ribbit Capital, Animal Capital, Creandum, Firstmark Capital + others.
Regulator: Self-custody (non-regulated; users hold own keys).
Technical integration
| Layer | Description |
|---|---|
| Channels | Argent mobile wallet (iOS + Android; for Ethereum + zkSync) + Argent X (browser extension for StarkNet) |
| Identifiers | ETH address + StarkNet address + zkSync address + ENS |
| Type | Self-custody smart-contract account-abstraction (AA) wallet |
| Networks | Ethereum Mainnet + L2 (zkSync Era + StarkNet) |
| AA features | Social recovery + multicall (bundle multiple txs) + session keys (Dapps sign on user's behalf) + flexible authentication |
| StarkNet native AA: Every account IS a smart contract — Argent first-class citizen | |
| License | Self-custody (no key custody; user holds keys via secure enclaves + social recovery) |
Users & growth
2024-2025 baseline [3]:
- zkSync Era waitlist: 350,000+ users (gateway to zkSync ecosystem)
- Pioneering AA: First smart wallets for zkSync + StarkNet (2023)
- Strategic 2025: Argent → Ready rebrand + StarkNet double-down
Use cases
Ethereum-mainnet self-custody DeFi + NFT; zkSync Era L2 gateway; StarkNet native-AA wallet (Argent X); social-recovery + session-keys + multicall AA-UX advantages; DeFi yield + lending + DEX interactions; NFT minting + trading; ENS-based identity.
Implementations & partners
Operator: Ready Wallet Limited (Itamar Lesuisse CEO + Gerald Goldstein CPO).
Major investors: Index Ventures, Paradigm, Ribbit Capital, Animal Capital, Creandum, Firstmark Capital.
Strategic ecosystem partners: zkSync (Matter Labs) + StarkNet (StarkWare) — first smart-wallet builder on both L2s.
Major self-custody smart-contract wallet competitors:
- Safe (formerly Gnosis Safe) (multi-sig + smart-contract treasury wallet)
- Ambire (account-abstraction-focused; Web3 wallet)
- Sequence (multi-chain smart wallet)
- [[metamask]] (covered Batch 9; world's most popular EVM wallet — externally-owned-account model, not AA)
- [[trust-wallet]] (covered Batch 9; mass-market multi-chain)
- [[rainbow]] (covered Batch 9; EVM-focused; Apple-aesthetic)
Regulator: Self-custody (non-regulated).
Fun facts
- 2018 founding by Itamar Lesuisse + Gerald Goldstein in London.
- Built first smart wallets for zkSync + StarkNet (2023).
- 350K+ users on zkSync Era waitlist — distinctive zkSync gateway positioning.
- StarkNet native AA — every account IS a smart contract; Argent first-class citizen.
- Backed by Index Ventures + Paradigm + Ribbit Capital + Animal Capital + Creandum.
- 2025 rebrand to Ready + StarkNet double-down.
- AA pioneer features: social recovery + multicall + session keys + flexible authentication.
Comparison
| Feature | Argent / Ready | Safe (Gnosis Safe analogous treasury) | Ambire (AA-focused analogous) | [[metamask]] (EVM EOA rival; Batch 9) | [[phantom]] (Solana analogous EOA wallet; Batch 9) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Ready Wallet Limited (Itamar Lesuisse CEO + Gerald Goldstein CPO; Index + Paradigm + Ribbit + Animal Capital + Creandum backed) | Safe Ecosystem Foundation | Ambire | ConsenSys / MetaMask | Phantom |
| Type | Self-custody smart-contract AA wallet (Ethereum + zkSync + StarkNet) | Multi-sig + smart-contract treasury wallet | AA-focused Web3 wallet | EVM externally-owned-account wallet (not AA) | Solana EOA wallet |
| Networks | Ethereum + zkSync + StarkNet (native AA pioneer) | Multi-chain EVM | EVM + L2 | EVM + L2 | Solana + EVM (post-2024) |
| Distinctive | First smart wallets for zkSync + StarkNet (2023); 350K+ zkSync Era waitlist users; AA pioneer; StarkNet first-class citizen | Multi-sig + DAO treasury standard | AA pioneer | World's most popular EVM wallet | Solana ecosystem leader |
Status
Active, pioneering smart-contract AA wallet for Ethereum + L2s [2, 3]:
- Ready Wallet Limited (rebranded from Argent) since 2018.
- First smart wallets for zkSync + StarkNet (2023).
- 350K+ zkSync Era waitlist users + Argent X StarkNet browser wallet.
- 2025 rebrand to Ready + StarkNet double-down.
- Index + Paradigm + Ribbit Capital backed.
- Self-custody (non-regulated).
Sources
- 1 Julien Niset Argent + StarkNet AA — Into the Bytecode
- 2 Argent → Ready doubling down on StarkNet
- 3 StarkNet AA primer — StarkNet
- 4 Best AA wallets 2025 — Ambire
- [global-cro] In-corpus: see country reports for self-custody global context
Source
Biography extracted from argent.md. See matrix.md for standards-support matrix if present.