Ethereum Foundation to Shrink Scope, Says Vitalik Buterin

TLDR

• Vitalik Buterin said the Ethereum Foundation will become a smaller and more focused organization over time.
• The restructuring comes as several senior researchers and contributors have exited the foundation in 2026.
• Buterin stated that his influence within the Ethereum Foundation will continue to decrease as governance evolves.
• The foundation will prioritize long-term sustainability and reduce broader operational activities.
• He emphasized that the Ethereum Foundation should be viewed as one contributor among many in the ecosystem.

Vitalik Buterin said the Ethereum Foundation will become a “smaller ship” as it restructures operations. He addressed internal changes and researcher departures while outlining long-term technical priorities for Ethereum. The remarks come as the foundation faces scrutiny over governance, funding, and its role within the broader blockchain ecosystem.

Vitalik Buterin and Ethereum Foundation Restructuring Plans

Buterin shared his views in a post on X, describing the changes as part of an ongoing transition. He said interim co-Executive Director Bastian Aue is leading the restructuring process.

He added that the foundation board is expanding and his own influence will continue to decline. “Which is honestly what I want,” Buterin wrote in the post.

The statement follows several departures from the foundation in 2026, including multiple senior contributors in May. Former co-executive director Tomasz Stanczak also stepped down earlier this year.

Protocol Cluster co-lead Alex Stokes has taken a sabbatical, while others have moved to external projects. These exits have renewed debate over the foundation’s structure and direction.

Buterin said the Ethereum Foundation should not be viewed as the center of the network. He described it as “one node” among many contributors in the Ethereum ecosystem.

He noted the foundation holds about 0.16% of all ETH, far below levels seen in other blockchain organizations. He said some foundations control between 10% and 50% of their tokens.

The foundation will now prioritize long-term sustainability over broader activity. Buterin said it will focus on tasks that would not occur without its involvement.

He acknowledged criticism from community members about gaps between decentralization goals and actual decisions. He said such feedback “makes him feel pain.”

Technical Roadmap and ETH Role in Ethereum Strategy

Buterin outlined three technical priorities for Ethereum’s next phase in his post. He said these goals aim to strengthen reliability, security, and decentralization.

The first goal is “provably bug-free Ethereum” using AI-assisted formal verification methods. He said this approach gained traction only in recent months.

The second priority focuses on maintaining available chain consensus with improved efficiency. Buterin said Ethereum combines traditional BFT safety with Bitcoin-style PoW resilience.

The third goal targets intermediary minimization across the network. He referenced ongoing work including FOCIL, EIP-8141, EIP-7701, and the Kohaku wallet framework.

Buterin rejected the idea of competing purely on transaction speed. He said focusing only on speed and scale risks reducing decentralization advantages.

He also addressed ETH as a financial asset within the ecosystem. He described it as Ethereum’s highest-value product from a financial perspective.

Buterin said some essential work supporting ETH falls outside the foundation’s direct scope. He noted that external groups and individuals may take on those roles.

He added that the foundation is considering how to support and fund such independent efforts. This includes seeding initiatives aligned with Ethereum’s long-term goals.

Buterin concluded that the Ethereum Foundation will become more focused and durable over time. He said its new structure should stabilize within the next few months.

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