The Ethereum Foundation (EF) is undergoing a significant transformation today, wrapping up a comprehensive months-long reorganization effort aimed at optimizing its operations in line with the Mandate and Treasury Management Policy. This restructuring results in a leaner team, with 54 positions being eliminated, accounting for approximately 20% of the workforce. While this decision was challenging, it underscores a commitment to better focus on critical initiatives and ensures that those departing can still contribute to the Ethereum ecosystem.
The EF’s new organizational framework is divided into five main clusters, each addressing specific domains of work: protocol layer, access layer, user layer, community layer, and institutional layer, along with dedicated operations and management clusters. Each cluster is equipped with the required resources and a tailored internal structure to effectively manage its responsibilities.
The Protocol Layer is tasked with maintaining Ethereum’s foundational promise of self-sovereignty. This cluster focuses on the advancement of the Ethereum protocol, ensuring it remains resistant to censorship and capture while upholding privacy and security. Key goals include safely implementing protocol upgrades, reducing complexity, and advancing research in areas like post-quantum security and zkEVM.
The Access Layer prioritizes providing users with the ability to engage with Ethereum through transparent and censorship-resistant processes. This cluster aims to guarantee that essential actions such as reading the chain, transacting, and delegating can be performed without relying on unverifiable intermediaries. Its guiding principle emphasizes the existence of credible, intermediary-free pathways for all actions.
The User Layer emphasizes understanding and addressing the needs of Ethereum users and organizations committed to self-sovereign practices. This cluster conducts research and develops educational materials to ensure that decision-making within the Protocol and Access Layers is informed by real user experiences and constraints.
The Community Layer supports the EF’s public presence, clarifying its values and distinguishing them from competing narratives in the cryptocurrency space. This cluster fosters relationships with allies in free and open-source software, privacy advocacy, and public interest technology sectors, aiming to create meaningful collaborations.
The Institutional Layer engages with various institutions that facilitate user access to Ethereum. This includes financial and non-financial sectors, government bodies, and nonprofit groups. By crafting best practices and educational resources, this cluster aims to demonstrate the effective integration of Ethereum technologies while maintaining critical self-sovereignty guarantees.
In light of the recent layoffs, the EF is committed to supporting departing employees with severance packages and transition assistance. This support includes severance pay based on tenure and guidance for finding new opportunities within the ecosystem. The EF expresses gratitude for the valuable contributions made by departing colleagues and hopes to maintain connections with them as they engage with Ethereum in different capacities.
As the EF settles into its new structure, the organization looks forward to revealing more details about its operations and how the broader ecosystem can effectively interact with these changes. The intent is to create a more focused and resilient foundation capable of driving Ethereum’s critical initiatives in the years to come.
