Ethereum Foundation ...

Ethereum Foundation Announces Leadership Shake-Up: Aims for Increased Technical Acumen and Improved Communications

By José Oramas January 20, 2025 In dApp, Ethereum

Vitalik Buterin announced leadership changes at the Ethereum Foundation, overhauling its current approach to communication and support.
Buterin rejected calls for the foundation to lobby regulators on Ethereum’s behalf, emphasising Ethereum’s neutrality.
Joseph Lubin proposed a leadership change in EF, replacing Aya Miyaguchi with Danny Ryan and Jerome de Tychey.

Ethereum (ETH) co-founder Vitalik Buterin announced upcoming changes to the Ethereum Foundation’s (EF) leadership structure, aiming to address long-standing concerns voiced by the Ethereum community.

In a January 18 post on X (formerly Twitter), Buterin outlined the goals of this leadership overhaul, which include strengthening support for decentralised application (dApp) developers and reinforcing three core principles: decentralisation, censorship resistance and privacy.

Another thing Buterin made clear is that the EF will avoid engaging in political lobbying, ideological shifts, or assuming a more centralised role in the Ethereum ecosystem’s development. This is a direct rejection of suggestions for the EF to adopt a more aggressive stance in lobbying regulators on Ethereum’s behalf.

Buterin said these ideas would just undermine Ethereum’s role as a “globally neutral platform”, and invited people just to start their own foundations if they don’t like it:

These things aren’t what EF does, and this isn’t going to change. People seeking a different vision are welcome to start their own organizations.

Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum co-founder

The Ethereum Community’s Frustration

Buterin’s comments come amid criticisms of the EF’s approach towards communication and engagement, and basically everything.

The Foundation’s ETH sales have become a pattern, often occurring during market rallies or at price peaks. For example, in 2024, it sold 4,566 ETH for US$12.9M (AU$19M), followed by the sale of 100 ETH worth approximately US$336K (AU$542k) on January 8, 2025. These transactions had a particularly precise timing, leading users to dub the Foundation the “top escape artist”.

Joseph Lubin, Ethereum co-founder and CEO of Consensys, has called for new leadership at the EF. In a post on X, Lubin praised current executive director Aya Miyaguchi for setting the foundation on a “healthy trajectory” but argued that the industry’s current environment demands a different approach.

Lubin proposed replacing Miyaguchi with two co-leaders: Danny Ryan, a former EF researcher instrumental in Ethereum’s transition to proof-of-stake (PoS), and Jerome de Tychey, president of Ethereum France.

I have worked in various contexts with Jerome for many years. 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.

Joseph Lubin, Ethereum co-founder and CEO of Consensys

De Tychey himself has called for reforms within the EF, stating the importance of improving communication and engagement while simplifying the Foundation’s messaging. He wrote on X:

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.