- Ethereum Foundation shifts leadership to enhance technical expertise and strengthen developer communication.
- Vitalik Buterin rejects calls for lobbying to maintain Ethereum’s neutral and decentralized platform.
- Leadership changes follow criticism of Ethereum Foundation’s spending transparency and community engagement.
The Ethereum Foundation is undergoing significant leadership changes to address criticism from the Ethereum community. Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, highlighted the need for adjustments to improve efficiency and communication.
In a recent update, Buterin emphasized the importance of enhancing technical expertise within the foundation’s leadership. He also stressed better engagement with developers and users to strengthen Ethereum’s ecosystem. The leadership changes aim to promote decentralized technologies while safeguarding Ethereum’s global neutrality.
Buterin reiterated that the EF would not shift its core mission. He rejected calls for the organization to take a stronger role in lobbying regulators or reshaping Ethereum’s vision. He encouraged those seeking alternative approaches to explore creating their own platforms.
Calls for Leadership Transition
Joseph Lubin, another Ethereum co-founder, suggested potential replacements for current EF executive director Aya Miyaguchi. He proposed Danny Ryan and Jerome de Tychey as co-leaders. Ryan played a critical role in the Ethereum Merge, while de Tychey leads Ethereum France. Lubin believes new leadership could bring fresh energy and innovative thinking to the EF.
These suggestions follow a year of controversies for the foundation. Criticisms have included concerns over spending, a lack of bold messaging, and conflicts of interest.
Addressing Community Concerns
In 2024, several EF researchers faced scrutiny for holding advisory roles in organizations like the EigenLayer Foundation. This raised questions about conflicts of interest. The EF implemented a new policy to address these concerns and maintain transparency.
Ethereum also experienced a rise in layer-2 rollups after the Dencun upgrade, which drastically reduced transaction fees. This led to concerns over revenue cannibalization at the base layer. However, revenues eventually stabilized by the end of 2024.
The EF aims to address these challenges through leadership reforms and improved community engagement. The focus remains on advancing Ethereum’s role as a decentralized, privacy-centric platform.
