Ethereum Foundation Faces Internal Struggles Amid Leadership Changes

Crypto KOL Haotian Cryptoinsight posted on X about the recent developments within the Ethereum Foundation (EF) during the HK conference. Concerns were raised regarding the departure of Tomasz Stanczak, who had been instrumental in implementing various reforms within the EF over the past year. Despite his efforts to restructure the Geth core team's compensation, eliminate stagnant projects, and push for the Pectra upgrade roadmap, Stanczak faced resistance from the conservative factions within the organization. Stanczak's initiatives aimed at aligning Ethereum with AI through the dAI strategy were met with opposition from entrenched bureaucratic elements within the EF. These conservative groups preferred maintaining the status quo, engaging in academic discussions rather than embracing change. Stanczak's approach, characterized by venture capital efficiency and commercial logic, clashed with the traditionalists who were accustomed to benefiting from early advantages without significant contributions. Vitalik Buterin's recent statements, including acknowledging the failure of the Layer 2 strategy and envisioning an AI-integrated Ethereum, indicate his awareness of the crisis. However, his idealistic and gentle nature limits his ability to support the new reformist faction led by Stanczak. The departure of Stanczak symbolizes the defeat of emerging technical innovation by the entrenched institutional inertia within Ethereum. Despite Buterin's awakening and anxiety, the conservative forces within the EF remain unshaken. The challenge lies in dealing with the arrogance and dismissive attitude of these factions, which surpasses even the criticized behavior of exchanges struggling for survival. Concerns about the future of the crypto industry are growing, not only due to the persistent market downturn but also because of the irreversible loss of talent. Reflecting on the past year, the Ethereum ecosystem has witnessed significant talent attrition. Stanczak's departure to focus on Agentic AI, a promising next chapter for Ethereum, raises questions about the future of initiatives like ERC8004 and x402 protocols, which were expected to transform Ethereum under the Agentic Economy narrative.