The staff cuts come after a prolonged stretch of leadership instability within the organization.

The Ethereum Foundation is reducing its workforce by about 20%, eliminating 54 roles as part of a broader restructuring effort following continued executive turnover and increasing fragmentation across the wider Ethereum ecosystem.

Announced Tuesday in a blog post, the layoffs mark the end of a months-long internal reorganization tied to the rollout of the Foundation’s updated mandate and treasury strategy. The EF said the move is aimed at becoming “leaner and more focused,” with resources aligned around the key priorities supporting Ethereum’s long-term growth.

The restructuring follows notable leadership changes. Co-executive director Hsiao-Wei Wang stepped down earlier this month, after the prior departure of co-executive director Tomasz Stańczak. Board member Bastian Aue has since taken on expanded responsibilities, overseeing the transition and daily operations.

In total, around nine senior leaders have exited or transitioned out of the Foundation over the past six months, increasing scrutiny of its governance model as Ethereum faces intensifying competition from rival blockchain networks.

While the Foundation is scaling back, other parts of the ecosystem are expanding. On Monday, BitMine Immersion Technologies and SharpLink Gaming—two of the largest publicly traded Ethereum treasury firms—joined Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin in backing ETHLabs, a new non-profit initiative aimed at advancing Ethereum’s technical roadmap and institutional adoption.

As part of the overhaul, the Foundation has reorganized its work into five core divisions, including a dedicated institutional unit focused on enterprise engagement, financial infrastructure, and policy coordination.

An Ethereum Foundation spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.

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