Ethereum Marks 11th Anniversary After Turbulent Year at Foundation

Ethereum marks its 11th anniversary on July 30, 2026, following a turbulent year of restructuring at the Ethereum Foundation. Prompted by community criticism over its slow execution, the foundation laid off 20% of its staff and saw the departure of nine senior members, including co-executive directors Hsiao-Wei Wang and Tomasz Stańczak. To guide its future, the foundation established the CROPS framework and committed to gradually reducing its own influence over the ecosystem.

Ethereum 11th anniversary milestone

• ▪Ethereum launched on July 30, 2015, with a vision to become a decentralized world computer.
• ▪Ethereum marked its 11th anniversary on July 30, 2026, having evolved into a base layer for tokenized assets and decentralized finance.

Foundation leadership departures

• ▪Nine senior members departed the Ethereum Foundation over a seven-month period leading up to July 30, 2026.
• ▪Hsiao-Wei Wang and Tomasz Stańczak resigned from their roles as co-executive directors of the Ethereum Foundation.

Workforce reduction layoffs

• ▪The Ethereum Foundation faced mounting criticism from developers, investors, and community members over its slow pace of execution and lack of transparency.
• ▪The Ethereum Foundation reduced its workforce by 20% through layoffs to redefine its mission and focus resources.

CROPS mandate framework

• ▪In March 2026, the Ethereum Foundation published its first formal mandate outlining the CROPS framework: Censorship Resistance, Open Source, Privacy, and Security.
• ▪The Ethereum Foundation committed to measuring its long-term success by its ability to reduce its own influence over the Ethereum ecosystem.