The Ethereum Foundation is undergoing a major restructuring with a 20% reduction in staff.
The Ethereum Foundation (EF) has completed a multi-month reorganization aimed at optimizing internal processes and implementing a new management model. As part of the implementation of the Treasury Mandate and Governance Policy, the foundation has transitioned to a structure consisting of five working clusters: Protocol Layer, Access Layer, User Layer, Community Layer, and Institutional Layer. Additionally, operations and management support blocks have been allocated.
A key outcome of the restructuring is a reduction in staff by 54 employees, representing approximately 20% of the total team size. For the laid-off specialists, the EF has developed a compensation package that includes severance pay of at least one month's salary for each year of service or the local statutory minimum. Furthermore, the foundation provides assistance in finding a new role within the Ethereum ecosystem and a small grant for related expenses.
These changes indicate the Ethereum Foundation's desire to improve operational efficiency and focus on key areas of network development. The new cluster structure will likely enable more flexible resource allocation and faster responses to challenges facing the ecosystem. However, such a significant reduction in staff may raise questions about the preservation of institutional memory and the pace of ongoing project implementation.
Expert opinion: The restructuring of the Ethereum Foundation is a logical step in the context of growing competition and the need to improve management efficiency. However, cutting 20% of the team is a serious signal that may indicate a reassessment of priorities and a potential slowdown of some initiatives. Investors and ecosystem participants should closely monitor how the new structure affects the pace of development and implementation of network updates.