The Ethereum Foundation undergoes a major restructuring of its research department, renamed “Protocol”, with layoffs to focus on scalability, blobspace, and user experience.
This decision comes amidst growing criticism of development stagnation, already prompting governance changes within the foundation.
The foundation promises more transparency on updates and better coordination of efforts, banking on this new organization to reignite network innovation.
The Ethereum Foundation Makes a Fresh Start
Shaken by recurring criticism of its strategic inertia, the Ethereum Foundation has just announced a deep reorganization of its research and development division, accompanied by several layoffs. The goal: to focus on the major technical challenges of the protocol in order not to lose its dominant position in the blockchain ecosystem.
A Pressure-Driven Restructuring
In a blog post published on Monday, the Swiss foundation acknowledges a significant change in its research management approach. Renamed simply “Protocol“, the former PR&D department will now focus on three priorities: scaling the base layer, expanding the blobspace, a crucial component of the data availability strategy, and enhancing user experience.
These changes mark a departure from our previous methods, but we believe they will put us on a more responsive and effective trajectory.
Departures to Start Afresh
No specifics were given on the exact number of employees affected by the layoffs. The blog simply states that “some members of the PR&D will not continue with the Ethereum Foundation“, while wishing them success in their journey within the Ethereum ecosystem. The foundation even invites recruiting projects to reach out to them.
This refocusing comes amid an already tense atmosphere: for over a year, several voices in the community have raised concerns about the stagnation of protocol development. Tensions that have already led to changes in the foundation’s leadership, now co-led by Hsiao-Wei Weng, a key figure in the internal reform effort.
Ethereum: A New Structure, a Bet on Transparency
The foundation promises that this new organization will provide greater clarity on update schedules, technical documentation, and research projects. It aims to make the new Protocol department a focal point for Ethereum’s fundamental development efforts.
“We hope that this new structure will allow our teams to focus better and drive key initiatives forward“, stated Hsiao-Wei Weng on X. It remains to be seen if this restructuring will be enough to address criticisms and reignite the network’s innovation momentum.
