Recent developments at the Ethereum Foundation reflect a significant shift in its leadership and operational focus. In July 2026, the foundation announced a series of changes that have raised questions about its direction and future.

Key Events in 2026

The foundation began the year under increasing scrutiny from developers and community members, who criticized its slow pace and governance. Many argued that the roadmap was overly focused on layer-2 scaling solutions, potentially overlooking essential improvements to the base layer.

A key moment occurred in February when co-executive director Tomasz Stańczak announced his resignation. His departure marked the start of a restructuring process within the organization. Shortly after, the foundation introduced a new mandate emphasizing a narrower role, centered around the CROPS framework: censorship resistance, resilience, openness, privacy, and security.

The leadership changes did not stop there. Over the next few months, the foundation experienced an unprecedented turnover, with nine senior executives and researchers leaving their positions. This wave of departures has been described as one of the largest in the foundation's history of twelve years. Despite these changes, leadership reassured stakeholders that this was a necessary organizational reset and not an indication of decline.

By June, the restructuring escalated further as co-executive director Hsiao-Wei Wang also resigned. In response, the foundation executed its most extensive overhaul yet, cutting about one-fifth of its workforce, which translated to 54 job eliminations. This reduction came alongside a 40% decrease in its annual operating budget, aimed at creating a more sustainable financial model.

In conjunction with this reorganization, new institutions began to emerge within the Ethereum ecosystem. One notable entity, ETHLabs, was established with support from several significant ETH treasury companies. This organization aims to enhance protocol research, ecosystem coordination, and product development, taking over responsibilities previously managed by the foundation.

This material is informational and not financial advice.