Joe Lubin: Ethereum Foundation Layoffs and Restructuring Are Not a Crisis; Focus Will Shift to Core Technologies like AI Agents

Odaily, Ethereum co-founder and Consensys CEO Joe Lubin stated that the recent layoffs, budget cuts, and leadership changes at the Ethereum Foundation are not a crisis, but a necessary evolution of the organization. In an interview, Lubin pointed out that the Ethereum Foundation should focus on safeguarding core protocol technology and values, while tasks such as adoption, ecosystem expansion, and institutional collaboration should be undertaken by other entities. Maintaining neutrality and credibility is crucial to avoid conflicts between commercial interests and developers. He noted a public misunderstanding of the Foundation's role: the EF's responsibility is to maintain the Ethereum protocol, not to lead commercialization or market competition strategies.

Lubin also stated that the future of Ethereum will be shaped by multiple organizations working together to build the ecosystem, rather than relying on a single entity for leadership. He dismissed claims that Ethereum is on the decline, saying the network is still developing steadily, and pointed out that years of scaling efforts are laying the groundwork for the next wave of adoption, including on-chain transactions by autonomous AI agents and increased institutional usage. The Ethereum Foundation is narrowing its focus precisely to ensure the protocol can support a new generation of applications, while new organizations will take on the work of promotion and commercialization.

Lubin noted that the next wave is the agent economy, where hybrid human-machine systems will use Ethereum's infrastructure for transactions. The restructuring of the Ethereum Foundation is a healthy institutional optimization that will help Ethereum maintain robust development under the premise of decentralization and prepare for future technological and business innovations. (CoinDesk)