Summary
- The Ethereum Foundation is terminating 54 positions, representing about 20% of its workforce, as part of a reorganization aimed at becoming more efficient and focused.
- This decision follows a comprehensive restructuring initiative that arose from its March "Mandate" and a revised treasury strategy, leading to the formation of five primary "clusters" along with operational and management teams.
- The layoffs coincide with a series of leadership departures, including the recent exit of co-director Hsiao-Wei Wang.
The Ethereum Foundation is letting go of 54 employees, which accounts for approximately 20% of its entire team, as part of its efforts to reorganize and become “leaner and more focused.”
This decision marks the conclusion of a months-long restructuring process initiated by the organization, which was guided by the March release of its “Mandate,” a 38-page document described as “part constitution, part manifesto,” alongside the introduction of a new treasury policy.
“We emerge from this process equipped with the structure, activities, and personnel necessary to execute on the critical tasks ahead,” the Foundation tweeted.
Today, the EF is changing shape, concluding a months-long process of reorganization as part of the implementation of the Mandate and the Treasury Management Policy.
We come out of this process with the structure, activities, and people necessary for execution on the critical…
— Ethereum Foundation (@ethereumfndn) June 23, 2026
“Each area of work necessitates a unique approach, is held accountable for different outcomes, and possesses an internal structure tailored to its specific tasks,” the Foundation detailed in a blog post.
In practical terms, the protocol layer will address scaling and enhancing the Ethereum mainnet, while the access layer will concentrate on transactions, data retrieval, and on-chain delegation.
This announcement arrives just a week after co-director Hsiao-Wei Wang departed from her role, part of a series of leadership changes that have occurred over the past year.
Before her exit, former co-director Tomasz Stanczak left in February, and leading researcher Dankrad Feist moved on last year to develop Stripe’s stablecoin blockchain, Tempo.
Although hinting at a transition to a leaner team last month, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin acknowledged that “something of great value was lost,” emphasizing the significant contributions of those who have departed from both the Foundation and Ethereum.
“The past years have been a challenging era for Ethereum,” he tweeted. “Nevertheless, the ecosystem is evolving, both within the EF and externally, and I am confident that Ethereum is well-positioned for future success and growth.”
Additionally, the Ethereum ecosystem welcomed a new player with the launch of Ethlabs, a non-profit research and development organization established by former Ethereum Foundation researchers.
This new entity, supported by prominent Ethereum treasury firms such as BitMine Immersion Technologies and Sharplink, will initially focus on enhancing connections between institutions and Ethereum.