Major Ethereum Shake-Up: Buterin Confirms New Leadership, Tech Focus
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has confirmed that "large changes" are coming to the leadership structure of the Ethereum Foundation (EF), the non-profit organization that supports the development of the Ethereum blockchain. While emphasizing that the EF's core mission will remain unchanged, Buterin outlined several goals for the restructuring, including a push for greater technical expertise among leadership and improved communication with the broader Ethereum community.
Community Calls for Change: A New Direction for the EF?
Buterin's announcement, made in a post on X (formerly Twitter), comes amid growing calls for a refresh of the EF's leadership and a renewed focus on its core objectives. These calls have been amplified by influential figures within the Ethereum community, including co-founder and Consensys CEO Joseph Lubin.
Lubin, while praising current EF Executive Director Aya Miyaguchi for setting the foundation on a "healthy trajectory," argued that the evolving crypto landscape requires a different kind of leadership. He proposed a co-leadership model, suggesting Danny Ryan, a former EF researcher who oversaw Ethereum's transition to proof-of-stake (known as the Merge), and Jerome de Tychey, president of Ethereum France, as potential replacements for Miyaguchi.
"I believe that having Jerome and Danny partner to lead the EF would be a massive injection of energy, talent, outside the box thinking, creativity in marketing and drive — exactly what the Ethereum community needs today to show up for the world as the premiere, most diversely capable and most trusted blockchain ecosystem," Lubin wrote.
Recommendations for Renewal: A Focus on Communication and Bold Messaging
De Tychey himself has outlined recommendations for the EF, calling for improved communication, engagement, and a return to simpler, bolder messaging. "Ethereum's strength lies in its ability to adapt and thrive through collaboration. Together, we will shape the next chapter of Ethereum and make it even stronger," he stated in a recent post.
Buterin's Vision: Technical Expertise and Decentralized Principles
Buterin, in his own post, detailed the goals of the leadership changes. These include:
- Boosting Technical Expertise: Elevating the level of technical knowledge within the EF's leadership.
- Improving Communication: Enhancing communication with both developers and users.
- Bringing in Fresh Talent: Recruiting new talent to improve the EF's "execution ability and speed."
- Embracing Decentralization and Privacy: Broadening the EF's use of decentralized and privacy-focused technologies.
However, Buterin pushed back against calls for the EF to engage in more aggressive lobbying, emphasizing the importance of maintaining Ethereum's neutrality. "These things aren't what EF does and this isn't going to change," he wrote.