Quicknode

May 28, 2025 — 5 min read

We’re excited to spotlight SettleX, a bold new player aiming to redefine cross-chain liquidity and settlement infrastructure. Founded by seasoned smart contract developer and technical writer Aayush Gupta, SettleX is building a privacy-preserving, modular clearing layer that tackles capital inefficiencies head-on. With a mission to streamline cross-chain asset movement for institutional and high-volume users, SettleX leverages advanced netting algorithms and robust messaging to ensure efficient, low-slippage settlements. Since joining the Quicknode Rollup Accelerator, the team has sharpened its architecture, forged early strategic connections, and begun preparing for real-world validation.

Q & A with SettleX 👇

Who are you, and what’s the mission behind SettleX?

I’m Aayush, founder of SettleX, and a smart contract developer with 3+ years of experience in DeFi, modular blockchains, and cross-chain infrastructure. I've previously worked with leading blockchain projects, contributed extensively to developer communities, and won multiple Web3 hackathons.

SettleX is the first confidential clearing and settlement layer for stablecoins, built for institutions.

In crypto today, cross-chain flows are fragmented, expensive, and exposed to the public, revealing counterparties and trading strategies. SettleX changes this by netting transfers across chains and settling only the net delta, cutting capital inefficiency, slashing rebalancing and bridging costs, and shielding sensitive financial activity, saving millions for counterparties. Fully compliant and chain-agnostic, SettleX offers a foundation for the next generation of cross-chain financial infrastructure.

What drew you to Quicknode’s Rollup Accelerator, and how has it shaped your journey so far?

We joined the Quicknode Rollup Accelerator because of its unique focus on rollup and modular blockchain infrastructure, perfectly aligned with SettleX’s mission to become the first confidential, compliant, chain-agnostic clearing layer. We knew that partnering with Quicknode would not just provide cutting-edge infrastructure, but also strategic guidance around scaling, architecture, and product design.

Throughout the program, Quicknode’s expert mentorship, technical resources, and deep community support have been invaluable. The experience has helped us refine our rollup design decisions, strengthen our modular architecture, and focus on building a product that can stand out in a fast-evolving ecosystem. It also opened up valuable early connections with ecosystem partners that are already shaping our go-to-market and fundraising strategies. This has given us a clearer path forward to launch and scale SettleX confidently.

What’s been the highlight of your experience in the accelerator over the past few weeks?

One of the most memorable experiences for me was seeing how supportive and collaborative the Quicknode Rollup Accelerator community is.

Since the cohort has a wide variety of startups, from rollups still in development like SettleX to rollups already live on mainnet processing thousands of transactions, I posted a message in our Telegram group asking for advice on fundraising and go-to-market strategy. To my surprise, Cais Manai, the CPO of TEN Protocol, personally reached out, DMed me, and later got on a 40-minute call where he walked me through practical steps for GTM and fundraising.For me, it was amazing to see experienced founders so willing to help newer founders like me. It really showed that beyond technical support, the accelerator fosters a real community that wants everyone to succeed.

What key milestones have you hit during the program, and what lessons have stuck with you?

During the program, we finalized SettleX’s modular architecture and built out core components for netting and settlement across multiple chains. We refined our data room and pitch deck, which sparked early interest from institutional players and DeFi protocols. We also transitioned from internal development to actively preparing for early user feedback and ecosystem partnerships.

The biggest lesson has been the power of focused, iterative feedback. It taught us to move quickly, validate ideas, and adapt our product to real-world institutional needs, all while staying lean and modular. Another important takeaway was the need to build with distribution and go-to-market in mind from day one, not just focusing on technology. Through mentorship and peer feedback, we realized that even the best product needs a clear story, strong positioning, and the right early partnerships to succeed.

The accelerator has helped us think more holistically about SettleX’s success, seeing it not just as a technical challenge but as a market and community-building opportunity.

What’s next for SettleX, and how do you plan to make waves in Web3?

Next up, we’re launching our MVP and engaging early partners to validate netting-based settlement at scale. We’re also working to secure pre-seed funding to grow our team and complete full product rollout.

SettleX is built to be the first confidential, compliant, chain-agnostic clearing layer, bringing capital efficiency and privacy to the backbone of stablecoin flows. Our goal is to become the trusted clearinghouse for Web3, starting with high-value market makers and solver networks, and expanding to institutional finance as the crypto rails of tomorrow. SettleX isn’t just a nice-to-have feature. It’s critical infrastructure for the next wave of crypto adoption.

Explore more at https://www.settlex.fi/ and follow along on X: @settleX_build.