QuickNode Accelerator - SettleX

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 👇

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

I'm Aayush Gupta, founder of SettleX, with over three years of experience as a Smart Contract Developer and technical writer in the blockchain and DeFi space. I've previously worked with leading blockchain projects, contributed extensively to developer communities, and won multiple Web3 hackathons.

SettleX is built with the vision to tackle liquidity fragmentation and capital inefficiencies across blockchain ecosystems through a privacy-preserving, cross-chain clearing and settlement layer. Our mission is to redefine asset movement between chains, ensuring maximum capital efficiency, minimal slippage, and enhanced privacy for institutional and high-volume market participants. By leveraging advanced netting algorithms and a robust cross-chain messaging infrastructure, SettleX aims to streamline liquidity operations, reduce transaction costs, and set new standards in cross-chain financial interoperability.

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

What drew me to QuickNode’s Rollup Accelerator was the unique combination of technical depth, real-world mentorship, and early support for builders pushing the frontier of rollup technology. As someone building a modular, cross-chain clearing layer like SettleX, I knew that partnering with QuickNode could give me not just infrastructure, but also strategic guidance around scaling, architecture, and product design.So far, the experience has been incredibly positive. The access to expert mentors, technical sessions, and community has helped refine our rollup design decisions and focus on building a product that can stand out in a fast-evolving ecosystem. It has also opened up valuable early connections that are already shaping our go-to-market and fundraising strategies. In fact, I’m already in talks with several potential ecosystem partners who I got connected to through the QuickNode Rollup Accelerator, further accelerating SettleX’s growth.

3. 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.

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

During the program, we finalized SettleX’s architecture and modular design, completed major components of our smart contracts, and started building the private clearing layer that powers cross-chain settlements. We also moved from an internal development phase to actively preparing for early user feedback and ecosystem partnerships.

One of the biggest lessons that stuck with me is the importance of building with distribution and GTM in mind from day one, not just focusing on technology. Through mentorship and peer feedback, I realized that even the best product needs a clear story, strong positioning, and the right early partnerships to succeed.

The accelerator has helped me think more holistically about SettleX’s success, not just as a technology problem to solve, but as a market and community-building challenge too.

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

Next for SettleX is launching our private testnet, onboarding early users, and validating our clearing and settlement engine in real-world conditions. We're collaborating closely with bridges, solvers, and liquidity providers who move large volumes across chains, making sure SettleX solves real pain points around fragmentation, slippage, and capital inefficiency.

In the coming months, we plan to expand cross-chain integrations, open our beta to a broader audience, and start forging ecosystem partnerships that will anchor SettleX as critical infrastructure for Web3 liquidity movement.

Our vision is to make SettleX the invisible force behind seamless cross-chain settlements, where capital moves smarter, cheaper, and more privately across ecosystems. We’re not just building another DeFi product, we’re building the foundational clearing layer that Web3’s next wave of applications can rely on.

Explore more at settlex-labs.vercel.app and follow along on X: @settleX_build.