Has the Ethereum Foundation lost its way?

Author: Ethereum founding member Anthony DOnofrio, CoinDesk; Translator: Tao Zhu, Golden Finance

Recently, Ethereum's future has been widely criticized, and the project's roadmap and governance have also been closely watched.

Written in X today, founding member Anthony DOnofrio called for changes in the leadership of the Ethereum Foundation, which supports the development of the blockchain.

"To ensure its future, the Ethereum Foundation must transform itself from a passive institution to a proactive, visionary force," he said.

The Ethereum Foundation is a paradox. Despite its commitment to decentralization, it operates as a centralized entity with directors, a finance department, paid developers, and a core circle. While these structures are necessary for coordination, they contradict Ethereum's decentralized spirit.

Foundation Today

What is less well known is that the current foundation is not well established. Ming was removed from her position by a group of people who were never publicly identified or held accountable. I spoke to Ming a few 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 not much in-depth analysis of why. I heard Ming was a bit of a micromanager and her forcefulness irritated some people. I believe this is true, but these stories are often just a cover for a deeper truth.

Based on how the organization has been run for the past seven years, I can infer some good intentions. A very important role of the organization is to prevent internal power struggles and external control. These are noble goals and they seem to have been effective in achieving them.

Another major focus seems to be minimizing the organization’s public influence and structuring it in a way that doesn’t draw the wrath of governments that might hold them accountable if the political winds turn against them. But as the political winds change and the market offers alternatives, the organization itself must adjust in form and function.

Ethereum was born as a visionary project, not just a technical one. It pointed to previously unimaginable future possibilities by empowering individuals to accomplish work that would have previously taken billions of dollars, thousands of people, or millions of man-hours.

The current incarnation of the Ethereum Foundation is designed to minimize internal and external threats, but it has lost sight of that vision.

Leading with a Vision

The next phase of Ethereum will require more than just technical research and coordination meetings. It requires a visionary leader — one who understands not only the technology but also its broader social, philosophical, and political implications. This leader must inspire a new generation of builders, connect technology to human needs, and navigate a complex political landscape without compromising the spirit of Ethereum.

The Ethereum whitepaper is more than just a technical document; it is a beacon that brings like-minded people together under a shared vision. It serves as a guiding light in the face of chaos, uncertainty, and frequent conflict. What ensures our collective success is not the absence of challenges, but the clarity of the mountaintop we are working toward. This shared vision keeps us aligned even when there are disagreements and setbacks.

This idea has come of age — a blueprint that transcends the individual, inspires the community to persevere, innovate, and ultimately turn that vision into reality. Without it, the project could easily collapse under the weight of its ambition.

Be Transparent and Focus More on the Community

Transparency is equally important. Over the past few years, the Foundation has retreated into the background, leaving the community feeling isolated. But Ethereum is nothing without its community, and it is nothing without its community. A community must be managed, curated, and cared for. It needs new people to come in with new energy and new ideas, bound by a shared vision. This includes the teams building on Ethereum as well.

Seize the moment

From a legal perspective, Ethereum must seize the opportunity to engage with lawmakers. The political climate in the United States is very favorable right now, and not taking action now could run the risk of losing momentum. The United States elected a president who not only owns Ethereum, but has also launched his own lending protocol based on Ethereum. As of now, we are in a political environment that would have been unthinkable a year ago, when the Democratic Party openly declared war on cryptocurrencies, surprising many of us, and the future seemed uncertain. Now is the best time to ensure that the promise of cryptocurrencies is realized.

While remaining politically neutral, foundations can create or promote frameworks that encourage compliance and innovation. Without these frameworks, the crypto space is plagued by speculative ventures (ICOs, DAOs, NFTs) that circumvent regulation rather than work to build sustainable use cases within it.

Leading by Example

The Ethereum Foundation should also consider leveraging 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 manage governance, fiscal spending, decision-making processes, and community engagement.

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

Taking Charge, Building the Future

Finally, financial accountability must be a priority.

With $100 million spent annually, the Foundation should be delivering measurable results. Despite significant investments in technical research, the user experience of cryptocurrency remains stagnant. Improving UX, UI, key management, and other security and usability issues is not insurmountable, but has been severely neglected. This oversight reflects a blind spot that must be addressed before broader adoption can be achieved.

Ethereum is more than a technical project — it is a visionary movement that aims to empower individuals to achieve goals that once required significant resources to achieve. This vision is at risk of being forgotten. To reignite it, the Foundation must embrace transparency, invest in leadership, engage the community, and become a legal and political focal point.

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