Ethereum Foundation Slashes 20% Workforce as Leadership Departures Mount

The downsizing comes after a turbulent stretch for the organization’s leadership team.

The Ethereum Foundation is reducing its workforce by about 20%, cutting 54 roles as part of a sweeping restructuring effort that follows continued executive turnover and increasing fragmentation across the broader Ethereum ecosystem.

Announced Tuesday via a blog post, the layoffs cap off a months-long internal overhaul tied to the rollout of the Foundation’s revised mandate and treasury strategy. The EF said the changes are intended to make the organization “leaner and more focused,” aligning its structure with the “core priorities” needed to support Ethereum’s long-term growth.

The cuts follow a period of notable leadership instability. Co-executive director Hsiao-Wei Wang stepped down earlier this month, after the earlier exit of fellow co-executive director Tomasz Stańczak. Board member Bastian Aue has since taken on expanded duties, helping manage the transition and oversee day-to-day operations.

In total, around nine senior leaders have departed or transitioned out of the Ethereum Foundation over the past six months, raising questions about its governance framework as Ethereum faces mounting competition from other blockchain networks.

Even as the Foundation scales back, other parts of the ecosystem are ramping up. On Monday, BitMine Immersion Technologies and SharpLink Gaming—two of the largest publicly listed Ethereum treasury firms—joined Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin in backing ETHLabs, a new non-profit initiative focused on advancing Ethereum’s technical roadmap and institutional adoption.

As part of its restructuring, the Foundation has reorganized its operations into five core groups, including a dedicated institutional division aimed at enterprise engagement, financial infrastructure, and policy coordination.

An Ethereum Foundation spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.

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