Ethereum Foundation Introduces New Co-Leaders
The Ethereum Foundation (EF) has made a big leadership change by appointing Hsiao-Wei Wang and Tomasz Stanczak as co-Executive Directors. This change comes after growing calls for a clearer leadership structure.
Ethereum has always focused on decentralization, meaning no single person controls its direction. Having two leaders instead of one follows this principle.
Why This Change Matters
- Start Date: March 17, 2025
- Who Are the New Leaders?
- Hsiao-Wei Wang: Has worked at Ethereum for 7 years, researching the Beacon Chain and working closely with the Ethereum community in Taiwan.
- Tomasz Stanczak: The founder of Nethermind, an important Ethereum software company. He is now leaving his role as CEO to focus on the Ethereum Foundation.
This change also follows another big shift: Aya Miyaguchi, who led the Ethereum Foundation for 7 years, is now the President.
How Will Two Leaders Work Together?
Some people in the Ethereum community wonder if having two leaders might slow down decisions or create conflicts.
To clear up doubts, Stanczak explained that:
- Both leaders will have equal power and can make decisions independently.
- The foundation will use a “full trust and shared responsibility” system, meaning both directors can act freely but still work together.
- Ethereum’s vision will continue to come from Vitalik Buterin and Aya Miyaguchi, while Wang and Stanczak will focus on daily operations.
Why Strong Leadership Matters: Key Lessons from Ethereum’s Past
Ethereum has had major challenges before, and strong leadership helped it move forward.
- The DAO Hack (2016): A hacker stole $60 million, leading Ethereum’s leaders to make the tough choice to reverse the hack by creating a new version of Ethereum. This led to Ethereum (ETH) and Ethereum Classic (ETC) splitting.
- Ethereum 2.0 Upgrade (2022): Ethereum switched from Proof of Work (PoW) to Proof of Stake (PoS), cutting its energy use by 99.95%. This was a huge change that took years of planning.
Ethereum’s new leadership model aims to keep the network stable while making sure it can still make fast and bold decisions when needed.
Ethereum Researcher Danny Ryan Starts Etherealize
In another big update, Ethereum researcher Danny Ryan has launched Etherealize with Vivek Raman.
What is Etherealize?
Etherealize is a new project focused on connecting Ethereum with big financial companies, such as:
- Hedge Funds
- Wall Street Banks
- Government Regulators
Its goal is to teach traditional finance leaders about Ethereum and help them use it.
Why This is Important: Ethereum and Traditional Finance
- Bitcoin ETFs Open the Door: In 2024, major companies like BlackRock and Fidelity launched Bitcoin ETFs, bringing in billions of dollars from investors. Many believe Ethereum ETFs could be next, likely in 2025.
- Banks Are Already Using Ethereum: In 2023, JP Morgan launched Onyx, a payment system built on Ethereum, proving that big banks are starting to adopt Ethereum’s technology.
Danny Ryan believes Etherealize will speed up Ethereum’s growth in the finance world, saying:
“The world is ready to move on-chain, and we’re here to help make it happen.”
What’s Next for Ethereum?
- Ethereum ETFs: If approved, Ethereum ETFs could bring in billions in investment, just like Bitcoin ETFs did.
- Layer 2 Growth: Faster and cheaper Ethereum-based networks like Arbitrum, Optimism, and Base are expanding quickly.
- DeFi Boom: Decentralized Finance (DeFi), mostly built on Ethereum, already holds over $100 billion and keeps growing.
With Ethereum’s new leadership team and more interest from big investors, 2025 could be a huge year for its future.
