Ethereum Foundation (EF) Co-Executive Director Tomasz has announced his upcoming departure from the organization at the end of February 2026, marking a significant transition for one of the core entities supporting the Ethereum ecosystem. In a detailed announcement, Tomasz confirmed that Bastian Aue will assume the co-Executive Director role, joining Hsiao-Wei in leadership. This shift signals a strategic evolution within the EF, coinciding with a period of substantial growth and integration for the Ethereum network across various global sectors.
The announcement comes at a pivotal moment for Ethereum, which has increasingly solidified its position as a foundational layer for financial infrastructure, decentralized applications, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and advanced robotics. Tomasz’s tenure has been characterized by a focus on accelerating development, fostering community engagement, and enhancing the EF’s outward-facing communication and institutional outreach. His departure, while marking the end of an era for his direct leadership, is framed within a broader narrative of continued progress and a bright future for Ethereum and its supporting organizations.
The Evolving Landscape of Ethereum
The trajectory of Ethereum, as described by Tomasz, is one of increasing utility and adoption, driven by a deep-seated conviction in its technological underpinnings and shared values. Despite market volatility and the emergence of competing ideas, a fundamental understanding of Ethereum’s technology, governance, and long-term significance continues to foster convergence among its proponents. This enduring belief is crucial as the network navigates complex technological advancements and expanding use cases.
A significant trend highlighted is Ethereum’s transition into a core component of global financial infrastructure. This evolution is not merely theoretical; data indicates a growing market share for Ethereum in areas such as stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets (RWAs). Ethereum’s established reputation for credible neutrality, robust decentralization, and an unbroken uptime record since its inception positions it as a low-risk infrastructure for institutions seeking to engage with blockchain technology. The upcoming major institutional Ethereum conference in New York underscores this increasing integration into the global financial landscape.
Furthermore, the confluence of artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology presents a particularly fertile ground for innovation. The rise of open-source large language models (LLMs) and agentic workers—systems capable of autonomous interaction and task execution—is creating new frontiers for builders and creators. These advancements, however, also bring forth critical privacy and security considerations, which the Ethereum community, rooted in its cypherpunk ethos, is actively addressing. The network’s role as an infrastructure layer for verification and financial transactions is becoming increasingly vital in this rapidly changing environment.
Tomasz’s reflections point to a future where Ethereum serves as the foundational layer for coordinating complex, automated interactions. This includes the potential for robots to engage in decentralized processes, the development of novel governance models, and the application of AI in critical sectors such as healthcare and education. The network’s capacity to support these diverse and transformative applications solidifies its relevance in the coming years.
A Strategic Transition for the Ethereum Foundation
The Ethereum Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering and protecting Ethereum and its related technologies, has undergone significant internal restructuring and strategic refinement under Tomasz’s co-leadership. Over the past year, a concerted effort has been made to enhance the impact and desirability of the co-Executive Director role, aiming to empower talented individuals within the EF and the broader Ethereum ecosystem.
Tomasz’s tenure has been marked by a commitment to rapid execution and the cultivation of talent. The EF has reportedly achieved considerable progress in key areas, including accelerating decision-making processes, enhancing communication channels through social media and podcasts, and fostering greater openness towards institutional engagement. Specific achievements and ongoing initiatives include:
- Community Engagement: Reaching younger generations and revitalizing excitement within the builder community.
- Institutional Outreach: Improving communication and collaboration with traditional financial institutions and governments.
- Ecosystem Support: Strengthening founders’ endeavors, establishing robust treasury policies, and fortifying local community hubs.
- Transparency and Clarity: Introducing compensation policies and enhancing transparency around budgets and organizational structure.
- Protocol Development: Clarifying the relationship between Layer 1 (L1) and Layer 2 (L2) scaling solutions and advancing the LEAN Ethereum roadmap.
- Security: Implementing a quantum strategy to address future security threats with leading researchers and engineers.
- Decentralized AI: Developing standards, experiments, and solutions for the burgeoning agentic economy through a dedicated AI team.
The EF’s proactive approach to these challenges reflects its resilience and adaptability. The organization is described as being in a healthy state, capable of balancing long-term strategic goals with the imperative for continuous change. The leadership team, characterized by intelligence and dynamism, is well-positioned to guide the EF through its next phase.
A significant upcoming initiative is the proposal for a merged LEAN Ethereum and core development roadmap. This document aims to provide clear guidance and a framework for coordination for 2026 and beyond, building upon the successful delivery of two network upgrades in 2025 with the support of EF coordination teams.
The EF’s commitment to cutting-edge research is further evidenced by its focus on post-quantum security, with top researchers finalizing specifications and engineers working on implementations. The decentralized AI team is actively contributing to the agentic economy through standards and experimental solutions. The Ecosystem Development (EcoDev) team continues its focus on supporting founders, institutions, and governments building on Ethereum, bolstered by a dedicated Global Policy Support team. AI is also being leveraged to automate coordination efforts, enhancing efficiency.
Addressing Key Technical and Strategic Challenges
A central discussion point and ongoing challenge for the EF has been the complex relationship between Ethereum’s Layer 1 and its numerous Layer 2 scaling solutions. Recent analyses and discussions, including contributions from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, aim to provide clarity on how L2s extend Ethereum’s capabilities with varying trade-offs in security, decentralization, user experience, and scalability. The EF’s Platform team has facilitated discussions among over 20 Ethereum L2s at events like the Network School, focusing on scaling, differentiation, and interoperability. The trend of major Ethereum rollups consistently surpassing alternative Layer 1s in stablecoin and transaction per second (TPS) metrics is highlighted as a testament to this evolving scaling strategy.
Despite increased openness to institutional applications, the EF remains steadfast in its adherence to cypherpunk values. Groups like Vitalik Buterin’s Silviculture Society provide crucial advisory on emerging risks, safeguarding against potential missteps. The work of the Privacy and Scaling Explorations (PSE) group and Kohaku is concentrating on applied privacy solutions, while the Protocol team dedicates significant resources to security and censorship resistance through programs like FOCIL and the Trillion Dollar Security initiative.
The upcoming Devcon in Mumbai is anticipated to be a major event, bringing together global blockchain thought leaders and founders to collaborate on Ethereum’s future. The selection of India as the host city reflects the growing significance of the region’s blockchain community.
The EF is also enhancing its engagement with the next generation of builders. New voices within the EF, alongside talented individuals supporting founders and media, are injecting fresh energy and will be instrumental in maintaining community excitement in 2026, particularly as agentic AI integrates with Ethereum’s role as a trust infrastructure.
The "Ethereum Everywhere" initiative continues to support global hubs in San Francisco, Lagos, London, Berlin, and Hong Kong. The Academic Secretariat is planning numerous university events, and the "pop-up cities" concept is gaining momentum, fostering connections between new builders and long-term thought leaders worldwide.
Looking ahead, the DeFi coordination team is poised to release a comprehensive plan and roadmap, signaling a renewed focus on supporting the decentralized finance ecosystem with newly acquired talent.
Leadership Transition and Continuity
The transition in leadership is designed to ensure continuity and foster further growth. Hsiao-Wei will continue in her role, with Bastian Aue joining her as co-Executive Director. This duo will be supported by a team of highly skilled individuals. James Smith remains instrumental in the EcoDev transformation, focusing on builders, founders, and institutional adoption. Policy support and long-term initiatives will continue under the leadership of Bastian Aue and Tju Liang. Josh Stark’s operational and communication expertise, particularly his role in significant social media changes in 2025, will remain valuable. The Protocol cluster’s engineers and researchers are collaborating closely to define future roadmaps and tackle complex technological challenges, underscoring the EF’s agility in driving change rapidly.
Tomasz’s Future Endeavors
Tomasz has expressed his intention to remain an active contributor to the Ethereum ecosystem. He will keep his direct messages (DMs) open for individuals seeking support in connecting with EF personnel or discussing Ethereum’s vision and strategy. He also plans to offer advice to EF leadership when needed, emphasizing his commitment to maintaining pressure on the ecosystem to accelerate progress.
His future plans involve continued travel, engagement with local communities, and supporting businesses building on Ethereum. A significant focus will be on acting as a core developer and hands-on product builder, particularly in the areas of agentic core development and agentic governance. This direction echoes his early entrepreneurial experience with Nethermind in 2017, where he recognized the transformative potential of Ethereum to reshape financial systems.
Tomasz is keenly aware of the experimental nature of agentic systems and AI-assisted discovery, acknowledging the potential impermanence of some ideas. However, he emphasizes that this playful experimentation has been a defining characteristic of early Ethereum innovation. His commitment to working directly with founders in frontier technology and Ethereum remains strong, driven by a desire to see the realization of the long-term vision he has articulated. He concludes by reiterating that this is an exceptionally exciting time to be a builder on Ethereum.
Acknowledging Contributions and Expressing Gratitude
Tomasz extended profound gratitude to the numerous individuals and groups who have contributed to the EF and the Ethereum ecosystem. He specifically thanked the EF board for their trust in appointing him as co-ED alongside Hsiao-Wei. He also acknowledged the rapid progress made in collaboration with Hsiao-Wei and the management team. Special thanks were given to Bastian Aue, Josh Stark, and Tju Liang for their emotional intelligence and facilitation of critical discussions. Joe Schweitzer was recognized for his contributions to broadening the reach of Ethereum’s future narrative through podcast reviews.
He also expressed deep appreciation for the widespread support and input received from Ethereum leaders in early 2025, which he stated was instrumental in shaping EF strategy. Acknowledgment was also given to every member of the EF for their dedication and execution of beliefs and talents.
Tomasz’s departure marks a significant leadership change, but his ongoing commitment to Ethereum’s growth and innovation, coupled with the robust transition plan at the Ethereum Foundation, suggests a continued trajectory of progress for the decentralized technology landscape.
