TLDR
- Ethereum Foundation has split leadership into board and management roles to clarify responsibilities
- Hsiao-Wei Wang and Tomasz K. Stańczak appointed as co-executive directors on March 2
- Board includes Vitalik Buterin, Aya Miyaguchi, Patrick Storchenegger, and Wang as bridge to management
- Top priorities include scaling Ethereum’s Layer 1, improving Layer 2 connections, and enhancing user experience
- Changes follow community criticism about the foundation’s engagement and leadership
The Ethereum Foundation has implemented a major leadership restructuring, formally separating board and management responsibilities to enhance focus and operational efficiency.
The changes, announced on April 28, come after growing community concerns about the foundation’s engagement and direction.
Under the new structure, Hsiao-Wei Wang and Tomasz K. Stańczak have been appointed as co-executive directors. Their appointment took effect on April 28, although the decision was made on March 2. Stańczak will serve a two-year term while continuing his work with Ethereum infrastructure firm Nethermind and a soon-to-be-launched Ethereum venture capital fund.
The management team has been expanded to include Bastian Aue and Josh Stark. Aue will focus on organizational strategy, hiring, and training, while Stark will handle project execution, communications, and marketing.
The board now consists of four members. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin will continue providing technical and intellectual guidance. Aya Miyaguchi, who transitions from executive director to president, will oversee the foundation’s vision and manage external relationships.
Swiss counsel Patrick Storchenegger remains on the board to handle legal and compliance matters. Wang holds a unique position as both co-executive director and board member, serving as a bridge between board decisions and management operations.
Clear Division of Responsibilities
The foundation described the board as a “security council to protect the heart and soul” of the organization. It will set the vision and ensure the foundation maintains its core values of censorship resistance, open-source innovation, privacy, and security.
The management team will focus on day-to-day operations and executing the board’s vision. This clear division aims to improve efficiency while preserving Ethereum’s fundamental principles.
4/ This requires constant evolution. The EF must change with the ecosystem, adapting to the community’s needs while maintaining our core principles.
— Ethereum Foundation (@ethereumfndn) April 28, 2025
The restructuring follows criticism from some community members, including Synthetix founder Kain Warwick, who claimed the foundation “doesn’t care” about decentralized finance innovation. Others have linked the foundation’s previous lack of engagement to Ether’s price performance compared to competitors like Bitcoin and Solana.
Strategic Priorities for the Coming Year
The new leadership has outlined three main focus areas for the next 12 months. First, scaling the Ethereum Layer 1 network to improve transaction throughput. Ethereum Foundation researchers Dankrad Feist and Sophia Gold have already proposed solutions through Ethereum Improvement Proposals 9678 and 9698, which aim to raise the gas limit.
Second, enhancing the connection between Layer 1 and Layer 2 networks to create better interoperability. And third, improving the user experience for both developers and everyday users.
The co-executive directors have expressed a commitment to accelerating the journey for developers, founders, and institutions building on Ethereum. They plan to give applications and Layer 2 solutions more attention at developer conferences and amplify their messages through various communication channels.
Despite taking a more active role, the foundation emphasized that it aims to support the Ethereum ecosystem without becoming a centralized authority. The goal remains to foster growth while staying true to Ethereum’s decentralized nature.
The restructuring represents a response to community feedback and changing market dynamics as Ethereum continues to evolve in the competitive blockchain landscape.
