The Ethereum Foundation recently announced a significant organizational shift with the departure of 54 employees, representing about 20% of its workforce. This action is the culmination of a major restructuring process launched in June 2025 to better align with new funding dynamics and operational goals.
What are the new structural pillars?
The restructuring has introduced five distinct sectors within the Foundation: protocol, access, user, community, and enterprise layers. Each sector is overseen by dedicated teams focusing on enhancing clarity and efficiency in their respective areas. The protocol division emphasizes boosting resistance to potential censorship and manipulation. The access layer aims to simplify blockchain data engagement for users without the necessity of intermediaries, while the enterprise layer seeks to facilitate the incorporation of Ethereum technologies into corporate and institutional frameworks.
Leadership transitions causing concern?
A wave of high-level resignations has accompanied the restructuring. Research co-executive director Hsiao Wei Wang resigned after an eight-year tenure, along with co-director Tomasz Stanczak earlier in February. Consequently, board member Bastian Aue has assumed sole responsibility for everyday operations. According to former researcher Dankrad Feist, the string of departures is attributed to managerial challenges within the organization.
The reduction in staff has coincided with increased concerns over funding sustainability for Ethereum’s core development. Trent Van Epps, former coordinator of core development, highlighted the urgency of support for maintaining Ethereum’s client teams—costing approximately $30 million annually, with critical financing thresholds potentially being reached within months. The recent end of the Foundation’s Client Incentives Program, which ends in April 2026, also pressures the overall budget. To manage its finances, the Foundation intends to trim its annual expenditures from 15% of treasury assets to a manageable 5% over the next decade.
- The Ethereum Foundation has cut around 54 jobs, roughly 20% of its staff.
- This move is part of a broader restructuring that began in mid-2025.
- High-level resignations have coincided with this reorganization.
- Funding worries persist, with core team costs nearing $30 million annually.
- Treasury expenditure plans aim to reduce from 15% to 5% by 2030.
Independent initiatives are gaining traction as critical components of Ethereum’s future. Ethlabs, a new not-for-profit research venture created by former Foundation researchers, underscores this shift. Prominent figures like Vitalik Buterin stress the importance of decentralized community-funded entities to maintain Ethereum’s progression while navigating budgetary constraints. As Ethereum experiences volatility—trading at $1,662 compared to its $4,950 peak—such independent bodies become even more essential to its ecosystem’s resilience and innovation.
