The Ethereum Foundation has lost another high-ranking contributor amid growing scrutiny of the research organization as the network faces ongoing questions about talent retention and management philosophy.
In a post on X, co-executive director Hsiao-Wei Wang announced that she has stepped down from her position with immediate effect, following a recent sabbatical. Wang wrote that “Ethereum has always played a bigger role than any other role” and indicated that she had not yet decided what she would do next.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin commented on Wang’s post on X, confirming that she had accepted “the most difficult position at the Ethereum Foundation” alongside Tomasz Stanczak, who also stepped down from his executive position earlier this year.
Source: Vitalik Buterin
The Ethereum Foundation has seen an estimated 19 layoffs and departures this year, although the loss of senior executives and key contributors has drawn the most attention. The wave of departures comes as the foundation grapples with increasing competition, ongoing debate over Ethereum’s governance and long-term growth strategy, and continued pressure on Ethereum’s market performance.
Buterin also pushes back on criticism, particularly claims that the foundation should take a more busy role in promoting the network. In May, he said the foundation was “not really an ‘Ethereum hub'” […] “one node with a specific purpose, alongside other nodes.”
Related: Blockchain researcher defends Ethereum Foundation, says it does its job “exactly”.
Decentralization remains the main focus of the Ethereum Foundation
In March, the Ethereum Foundation reaffirmed its role as steward of the Ethereum ecosystem, unveiling a revised mandate that places even greater emphasis on decentralization.
“Our ultimate goal is for Ethereum to pass the test: its protocols and core application layers have become so robust and trustless that they will continue to function reliably and evolve even if the Foundation and today’s core developers disappear tomorrow,” the foundation said.
Source: Ethereum Foundation
This philosophy also shaped Buterin’s evolving position on Ethereum’s Layer 2 networks – independent blockchains built on top of Ethereum to improve scalability and reduce transaction costs.
Buterin recently stated that the original vision for Layer 2 “no longer makes sense,” arguing that many have failed to achieve meaningful decentralization and that improvements to the Ethereum mainnet make it a more suitable solution for long-term scaling.
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