The Ethereum Foundation has just unveiled a major internal restructuring of its core Protocol Support team, signaling a pivotal moment for the future of the world’s leading smart contract platform.
The change, officially announced in a blog post dated June 2 and reinforced via a public statement from Ethereum researcher Hsiao-Wei Wang, reflects a broader effort to streamline the development process and empower new leaders within the protocol R&D cluster.
A New Chapter for Ethereum’s Core Development Team
In a message shared on X, Wang confirmed that the Foundation’s R&D structure has been reorganized to enhance focus, agility, and coordination across its core initiatives.
However, this also came with difficult decisions. Several long-time contributors have exited the core cluster—some of whom were central to Ethereum’s most critical protocol upgrades over the past years. The Foundation expressed appreciation for their contributions, noting that the decision “does not reflect their value or contributions.”
Who’s In, Who’s Out
While the Ethereum Foundation did not list every name affected, it gave special thanks to:
- Tim Beiko
- Danny Ryan
- Barnabé Monnot
- Alex Stokes
These individuals helped shape the new structure of what is now known as the “Protocol team,” a newly defined core within the Ethereum Foundation that will oversee long-term protocol research, EIPs (Ethereum Improvement Proposals), and coordination for major upgrades.
The announcement also welcomed a new generation of technical leads stepping up into leadership roles—though the Foundation is choosing to highlight team structures rather than individuals in this next phase.
What This Means for Ethereum’s Roadmap
Despite the shake-up, the Ethereum roadmap remains unchanged. The focus stays on:
- Scalability via rollups and danksharding
- Improved UX for staking and restaking layers
- Robustness in light clients, privacy, and account abstraction
However, this internal shift may accelerate coordination by reducing internal overlap and streamlining responsibility. With fewer decision bottlenecks, the Foundation hopes to keep Ethereum competitive as Layer 1 platforms like Solana, Sui, and Avalanche increase their institutional presence.
Final Thoughts: Ethereum Foundation Shake-Up Signals Long-Term Focus
While team restructurings often spark concern, this move reflects maturity—not instability. The Ethereum Foundation is signaling that it’s not just building tech—it’s building sustainable, long-term leadership.As Ethereum continues to lead the Layer 1 ecosystem by market cap and developer activity, this transition could be what’s needed to maintain its edge through the next cycle of innovation.
