Key facts
- The Ethereum Foundation is laying off 54 employees, representing about 20% of its staff.
- The reorganization aims to create a "leaner and more focused" organization.
- The foundation's work will be structured into five core clusters: protocol, access, user, community, and institutional, along with operations and management.
- The restructuring follows the implementation of the foundation's "Mandate" and treasury policy.
The Ethereum Foundation has announced a significant workforce reduction, laying off 54 employees, which constitutes approximately 20% of its total staff. This move is part of a broader reorganization effort aimed at making the non-profit entity "leaner and more focused." The restructuring follows the implementation of the foundation's "Mandate," a document outlining its strategic direction, and a new treasury policy.
As part of the reorganization, the Foundation's work will be divided into five distinct clusters: protocol layer, access layer, user layer, community layer, and institutional layer. Two additional clusters will handle operations and management. Each cluster is designed with a specific approach tailored to its respective goals, such as the protocol layer focusing on scaling and hardening Ethereum mainnet, and the access layer concentrating on on-chain transactions and delegation.
The announcement comes shortly after a series of leadership departures, including co-director Hsiao-Wei Wang last week, former co-director Tomasz Stanczak in February, and researcher Dankrad Feist last year. Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin acknowledged the contributions of the departing employees, stating that while valuable, the ecosystem is adapting and well-positioned for future success.