The Ethereum Foundation is a paradox. Despite its commitment to decentralization, it operates as a centralized entity with a director, a treasury, paid developers and an inner circle. While these structures are necessary for coordination, they create tension with Ethereum’s decentralized ethos.

The foundation today

It is not widely known, but the current foundation was built in a less than ideal manner. The former director, Ming, was ousted in a coordinated effort by a group of people who have never been publicly identified or held responsible. I spoke to Ming days before her removal and she assured me that she had no intention of leaving. I later got information about who was responsible for her removal, but didn’t get much insight as to why. I’ve heard that Ming was a bit of a micromanager and that she had an intensity that rubbed some people the wrong way. I’m sure there is truth to it, but these stories are often window dressing for deeper truths.

I can deduce some good reasons based on the way the organization has been run over the past seven years. A very important role for the organization is to protect against internal power struggles as well as external conquest. These are noble goals, and they seem to have achieved them effectively.

Another major focus appears to have been to minimize the organization’s public footprint and construct it in such a way that it would not incur the wrath of governments who could hold them accountable if the political winds shifted against them. But as political winds shift and the marketplace provides alternatives, the organization itself must adapt, both in form and function.

At its birth, Ethereum was a visionary project, not just technological in nature. It pointed to a possibility of previously unimaginable futures through the empowerment of the individual to do what had previously taken billions of dollars, thousands of people, or millions of man-hours to achieve.

The Ethereum Foundation, in its current incarnation, designed to minimize threats both internal and external, has lost this vision.

Lead with vision

Ethereum’s next phase requires more than just technical research and coordinating conferences. It requires visionary leadership – someone who understands not just the technology, but its wider social, philosophical and political implications. This leader must inspire a new generation of builders, connect technology with human needs, and navigate the complexities of the political landscape without compromising Ethereum’s ethos.

Read more: Sam Kessler – Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin goes on the attack amid major leadership shakeup

The Ethereum white paper was not just a technical document; it was a beacon that allowed like-minded people to come together under a shared vision. In the face of chaos, uncertainty and frequent conflict, it served as a guiding light. What ensured our collective success was not the absence of challenges, but the clarity of the mountaintop we were striving towards. This shared vision allowed us to stay aligned even when disagreements and setbacks arose.

It was an idea whose time had come—a plan that transcended the individuals behind it and inspired a community to persevere, innovate, and ultimately bring that vision to life. Without it, the project could easily have collapsed under the weight of its ambition.

Be transparent, focus more on the community

Transparency is equally critical. Over the past few years, the foundation has retreated into the shadows, leaving the community with a sense of disconnect. But ethereum would have been nothing without its community, and it will be nothing if it loses it. A community must be led, curated and nurtured. It requires the onboarding of new people, with new energy and new ideas, bound by a common vision. This also includes the teams that build on ethereum.

Seize the moment

From a legal perspective, Ethereum needs to embrace the opportunity to engage with lawmakers. The current US political climate is uniquely favorable, and inaction now risks losing momentum. America has elected a president who not only owns ether, but who himself has launched a lending protocol on top of it. Right now, we inhabit a political landscape that was unimaginable even a year ago, when Democrats surprised so many of us by openly declaring war on crypto, and the future seemed uncertain. There has never been a better time than now to ensure that the promise of crypto is delivered.

While maintaining political neutrality, the Foundation may create or promote frameworks that encourage compliance and innovation. Without these frameworks, the crypto space has been plagued by speculative ventures—ICOs, DAOs, NFTs—that defy the rules rather than work within them to build sustainable use cases.

Lead by example

The Ethereum Foundation should also consider using its own technology to coordinate its operations and demonstrate the transformative potential of decentralized systems. By adopting Ethereum-based tools and protocols, the foundation can potentially manage governance, disbursements to the Treasury, decision-making processes and community engagement.

This approach will not only demonstrate Ethereum’s capabilities, but also strengthen trust in the community by embodying the principles of decentralization and transparency that the project champions. In addition, leveraging Ethereum’s ecosystem for coordination could serve as a real-world case study that inspires developers and organizations to explore similar solutions. By integrating its technology into its own operations, the foundation will highlight the platform’s real-world applicability while setting a precedent for how decentralized systems can effectively manage complex organizations.

Be responsible, build the future

Finally, financial responsibility must become a priority.

With $100 million spent annually, the fund should deliver measurable results. Despite significant investment in technical research, the user experience in crypto remains stagnant. Improving UX, UI, key management, and other security and usability issues are not prohibitive, but have been severely neglected. This oversight reflects a blind spot that needs to be addressed before wider adoption is possible.

Ethereum began as more than just a technology project – it was a visionary movement to empower individuals to achieve what once required vast resources. That view risks being lost. To revive it, the foundation must embrace transparency, invest in leadership, engage the community and step into the legal and political spotlight.

Ethereum’s story is one of triumph over chaos and a testament to the power of collective vision. To secure its future, the Ethereum Foundation must transform itself from a reactive institution to a proactive visionary force. For ethereum. For the community. For the greater good. For the future.

With love,

Structure