Tomasz, a key figure in the leadership of the Ethereum Foundation (EF), has announced his decision to step down from his role as Co-Executive Director at the end of February 2026. In a comprehensive statement released today, Tomasz outlined his vision for Ethereum’s future, emphasizing its burgeoning role as foundational infrastructure for financial systems, decentralized AI, and emerging agentic technologies. He also detailed significant advancements within the EF and expressed confidence in the organization’s continued trajectory under new leadership. Bastian Aue will assume the co-ED role, joining Hsiao-Wei in guiding the foundation.
The announcement marks a significant transition for both Tomasz and the Ethereum Foundation, coming at a pivotal moment for the broader blockchain ecosystem. The past year has seen Ethereum solidify its position as the preferred institutional blockchain, a trend highlighted by increasing market share in stablecoin issuance and the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs). Tomasz’s departure signals a strategic shift, allowing him to focus on hands-on building and research in areas he believes will shape the next wave of decentralized innovation.
The Evolving Landscape of Ethereum: From Financial Infrastructure to AI Nexus
Tomasz’s reflections underscore a profound belief in Ethereum’s enduring relevance and its capacity to adapt to rapidly evolving technological paradigms. He posits that despite market fluctuations and the emergence of competing ideas, the core conviction in Ethereum’s technology, governance, and shared values will continue to foster convergence among builders and innovators.
"As competing ideas emerge and fail and the markets jump up and down, we have never been given too much certainty," Tomasz stated, referencing the inherent dynamism of the crypto space. "The conviction about Ethereum that comes from a deep understanding of its technology, its governance, its meaning for the future, and the values we share will always make us converge intermittently, even when our curiosities drive our explorations very far from the canonical paths."
A central theme in his outlook is Ethereum’s transformation into a critical infrastructure layer for the global financial system. This transition, he notes, is not merely theoretical but is demonstrably unfolding. Data from platforms tracking institutional adoption, such as those analyzing stablecoin dominance and RWA activity, consistently show Ethereum’s growing market share. This preference is attributed to Ethereum’s unparalleled record of credible neutrality, decentralization, and an unbroken uptime since its inception, thereby offering institutions significantly reduced counterparty, technology, and jurisdiction risks. The upcoming major institutional Ethereum conference in New York this year is cited as a testament to this growing embrace by global financial centers.
Beyond finance, Tomasz foresees Ethereum playing a foundational role in the integration of artificial intelligence and agentic systems. He anticipates the near future will witness the emergence of sophisticated robotic interactions, novel forms of governance enabled by decentralized technologies, and the application of AI in critical sectors like healthcare and education, all coordinated and underpinned by Ethereum’s infrastructure. This vision aligns with the rapid advancements in open-source Large Language Models (LLMs) and agentic workers, which are sparking significant excitement among developers and creators.
"Open-source LLM models are not doing badly and will hopefully do better and better," Tomasz observed. "Open-source agentic workers are becoming the most exciting toys for builders and creators since early Ethereum." He also acknowledged the critical privacy and security challenges that accompany these new paradigms, emphasizing that Ethereum’s cypherpunk ethos remains central, with dedicated builders and security experts ensuring the network upholds privacy and access to essential infrastructure. The increasing integration of AI into global financial systems, coupled with Ethereum’s robust infrastructure, creates what Tomasz describes as "rarely a more exciting time to build on Ethereum."
Ethereum Foundation’s Transformation and Future Leadership
Tomasz’s tenure as Co-Executive Director has been marked by a concerted effort to enhance the EF’s impact and appeal as a platform for empowering talent within the Ethereum ecosystem. He emphasized that the co-ED role has been both "rewarding" and "strategically challenging," providing significant inspiration and joy.
"It has been important for me, over the last year, to present the role of the EF co-ED as impactful and desirable, a position where one can make a meaningful difference by empowering people of extraordinary talent and dedication, both at the EF and more broadly in the Ethereum ecosystem," he stated.
Under his and Hsiao-Wei’s leadership, the EF has reportedly achieved swift progress in several key areas. These include accelerating decision-making processes, enhancing communication through social media and podcasts, fostering greater openness towards institutions, bolstering support for founders, establishing robust treasury policies, strengthening local community hubs, introducing a clear compensation policy, and providing more transparency around budgets and organizational structure.
The EF’s strategic roadmap for 2026 includes a proposal for a merged LEAN Ethereum and core development roadmap, aiming to define a clear long-term path for the Ethereum protocol. This initiative is expected to provide essential guidance and establish a framework for coordination in the coming years. The Protocol team, bolstered by the successful delivery of two network upgrades in 2025 with EF support, is well-positioned to continue delivering critical improvements.
Significant progress is also being made in forward-looking areas. The EF has a defined "quantum strategy," with leading researchers finalizing specifications and engineers working on implementations for post-quantum security. Furthermore, a dedicated decentralized AI team is actively developing standards, experiments, and solutions for the emerging agentic economy. The Ecosystem Development (EcoDev) team continues its focus on supporting founders, institutions, and governments building on Ethereum, complemented by a Global Policy Support team. AI is increasingly being leveraged to automate operational efforts and enhance coordination. Clearer communication regarding roadmaps, use cases, and applications is being driven by teams at ethereum.org and forkcast.org.
A major discussion point and challenge over the past year has been the relationship between Layer 1 (L1) and Layer 2 (L2) scaling solutions. Recent analyses, including those by Vitalik Buterin, aim to clarify the diverse trade-offs L2s make regarding security, decentralization, user experience, scaling, and privacy. The EF’s Platform team has facilitated discussions among over 20 Ethereum L2s at the Network School, focusing on scaling, differentiation, and interoperability. Notably, major Ethereum rollups are increasingly surpassing alternative Layer 1 blockchains in stablecoin and transactions per second (TPS) metrics, a trend expected to persist.
The EF maintains its commitment to cypherpunk values, with groups like Vitalik’s Silviculture Society advising senior leadership on emerging risks. The Protocol team’s work on security and censorship resistance continues through initiatives like FOCIL and the Trillion Dollar Security program.
Looking ahead, Tomasz expressed particular excitement about Devcon Mumbai, which will convene global blockchain thought leaders and founders. He also highlighted the EF’s improved ability to engage with the next generation of builders, attributing this to the "new energy" and contributions of new voices within the foundation and dedicated teams working with founders and media. The Ethereum Everywhere initiative continues to support global hubs, while the Academic Secretariat plans numerous university events, and the pop-up cities concept fosters networking and collaboration among builders worldwide.
The DeFi coordination team at the EF is set to publish its plans and roadmap soon, with Tomasz expressing enthusiasm for the talent brought onboard to support the DeFi ecosystem.
The leadership transition is clearly defined: Hsiao-Wei will continue her work, and Bastian Aue will expand his role to serve as co-ED alongside her. James Smith, instrumental in the EcoDev transformation, will continue his mission. Policy support and long-term initiatives will remain under the leadership of Bastian Aue and Tju Liang. Josh Stark is recognized for his operational execution and leadership in communication strategy. The Protocol cluster’s engineers and researchers are noted for their collaborative approach and confidence in setting future roadmaps and tackling complex technical challenges.
Tomasz’s Future Endeavors: A Return to Hands-On Building
Upon his departure from the EF, Tomasz intends to remain an active participant in the Ethereum ecosystem, offering continued support and guidance. His direct messages will remain open for those seeking connections within the EF or wishing to discuss Ethereum’s vision and strategy. He also plans to remain available to the EF leadership for advice, acknowledging the valuable counsel he has received from them. His overarching goal is to maintain pressure on the ecosystem to accelerate its progress.
Tomasz envisions a future focused on hands-on building and direct engagement with founders in frontier technology. He plans to dedicate more time to core development, particularly in agentic core development and agentic governance, drawing parallels to his experience founding Nethermind in 2017.
"I feel much the same as I felt when I started Nethermind in 2017," Tomasz reflected. "I felt very strongly at the time that a big change was happening. I knew that Ethereum was going to replace the financial systems and I knew that I had an important experience in the financial industry to make it more of an evolution rather than a revolution."
He recognizes the impermanence of some agentic ideas but emphasizes the value of playful experimentation, a hallmark of early Ethereum innovation. His aim is to witness and support the realization of the visions he has articulated over the years, believing this to be an exceptionally opportune moment for builders on Ethereum.
Acknowledging Support and the Path Forward
Tomasz expressed profound gratitude to everyone who has contributed to his work and the broader Ethereum ecosystem. He extended heartfelt thanks to the EF board for the opportunity to serve as co-ED, and to Hsiao-Wei and the management team for their collaborative efforts. Special acknowledgments were made to Bastian Aue, Josh Stark, and Tju Liang for their emotional intelligence and facilitation of crucial discussions, and to Joe Schweitzer for his contributions to outreach efforts.
He also thanked the numerous Ethereum leaders who provided insights and strategic guidance in early 2025, stating that their input was invaluable in shaping the EF’s strategy. The dedication of every individual at the EF was recognized for their commitment to executing their beliefs and talents.
The transition marks a new chapter for both Tomasz and the Ethereum Foundation, with a clear emphasis on continued innovation and growth across the rapidly evolving blockchain landscape. The foundation’s strategic advancements, coupled with the ongoing personal contributions of its leaders, underscore a robust commitment to Ethereum’s long-term vision.
