Ethereum Foundation overhauls R&D division amid leadership changes and staff layoffs

The Ethereum Foundation has restructured its Protocol Research & Development division, renaming it simply "Protocol" and consolidating efforts around three strategic priorities, the nonprofit announced Monday.

The reorganized unit will concentrate on scaling Ethereum’s Layer 1, enhancing data availability through "blobs," and significantly improving user experience. According to the foundation, this restructuring positions Ethereum to better support its long-term goal of becoming critical global financial infrastructure.

Also, the changes include shifts in leadership roles and responsibilities. Tim Beiko and Ansgar Dietrichs will lead Layer 1 scaling initiatives. Alex Stokes and Francesco D’Amato will focus on blobspace improvements aimed at Layer 2 efficiency, while Barnabé Monnot and Josh Rudolf will oversee enhancements in user experience. Dankrad Feist will advise strategically across these areas.

The move will result in a leaner organization due to staff layoffs. Although the foundation did not specify numbers, Core Developer Danno Ferrin suggested via social media that at least four blockchain engineers had been let go. “We hope these individuals continue on in the Ethereum ecosystem and encourage others building out their teams to seek them out,” the foundation commented in a blog post.

Ethereum Foundation co-executive director Hsiao-Wei Weng expressed optimism about the revamped structure’s potential to accelerate Ethereum’s growth. Tim Beiko echoed this sentiment, writing on X: "The world is ready for the world computer. It's on us to deliver it."

The restructuring follows recent community criticism of the Ethereum Foundation, notably around its research pace and strategic direction. In response, the Swiss-based nonprofit has introduced new leadership, fielded an enhanced security plan, and trimmed its team to address community concerns.

This comes as researcher Hsiao-Wei Wang and Tomasz Stańczak, founder of Nethermind, were named co-executive directors of the Ethereum Foundation, effective last month. Aya Miyaguchi, who had previously served as the EF’s executive director for seven years beginning in 2018, moved into the newly created role of foundation president.