Latest developments: Trent Van Epps says Ethereum’s long-term decentralization strategy is entering a critical transition phase.
- Van Epps said he left the Ethereum Foundation after it became clear the organization would accelerate its “subtraction” philosophy of pushing authority and legitimacy into the broader ecosystem.
- He described the Ethereum Foundation as deliberately reducing its central role rather than consolidating power, arguing that multiple independent institutions should eventually coordinate the ecosystem.
- The comments come after recent changes in the Ethereum Foundation’s leadership and workforce reductions, which have raised questions about Ethereum’s future governance.
- Van Epps joined CoinDesk’s Jennifer Sanasie on the Markets Outlook.
What this means: Van Epps argues that Ethereum faces a practical funding challenge rather than an existential crisis.
- He estimated that core protocol development requires about $30 million annually, even if the Ethereum Foundation’s finances gradually decrease over time.
- According to Van Epps, the problem is not shrinking technical needs, but identifying new organizations willing to fund public goods that keep the network reliable and secure.
- He said his Protocol Guild initiative has distributed nearly $40 million to Ethereum core developers over roughly four years, but that alone is not enough to replace broader ecosystem funding.
