Key Takeaways:
Two more researchers have resigned from the Ethereum Foundation, adding to a wave of high-profile departures over the past year that raises questions about the stability of the non-profit that supports the Ethereum ecosystem.
"To every researcher, core dev, EFer, and community member, whether we worked together closely or not: thank you," departing researcher Carl Beek said on X, formerly Twitter, on May 18. "The strength of Ethereum is, and always will be, the people behind it striving to make it what it is."
Beek, who is leaving after seven years, was instrumental in developing Ethereum’s Beacon Chain, which was critical to the blockchain’s 2020 upgrade to a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism. The other departing researcher, Julian Ma, spent four years at the foundation, contributing to mechanism design and co-authoring a proposal to boost censorship resistance. Their resignations follow at least five other senior figures who have left since last June, including former co-executive director Tomasz K. Stańczak, seven-year veteran Josh Stark, and protocol team members Barnabé Monnot and Tim Beiko.
The staff turnover injects a new layer of uncertainty for the world’s largest smart contract platform as it navigates a complex technical roadmap while facing increased competition from rival blockchains. The foundation has been dealing with community criticism over its execution and support for the ecosystem, which led to a significant reshuffling in 2025. More recently, the organization drew controversy for reportedly asking employees to sign a loyalty pledge related to its focus on "CROPs" values — short for Censorship resistance, Open source, Privacy, and Security.
The wave of resignations began last June when Péter Szilágyi, who created the most widely used Ethereum execution client, Geth, left after about a decade, citing long-simmering tensions. Amid the departures, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has taken a more visible role in communicating the blockchain's future roadmap.
Ethereum (ETH) was trading at approximately $2,135, down 0.88% over the past 24 hours, according to data from The Block.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
