Vitalik has responded to criticism directed toward Ethereum Foundation executive director Aya Miyagotchi and centralization concerns around the future of Ethereum.
“The future of the world computer is decentralized,” said Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin in a Jan. 21 X post, responding to a community member who raised concerns over centralization within the Ethereum Foundation, which recently announced changes to its leadership.
The comments come amid calls from the community to promote researcher and developer Danny Ryan, whose contributions to Ethereum’s transition from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake have been widely praised.
Through reforms, the foundation plans to focus on emphasizing technical expertise within the foundation’s leadership and improving communication with developers and builders in the ecosystem.
Ryan’s supporters argue that his expertise aligns with Ethereum’s long-term goals, positioning him as a strong candidate for leadership despite Buterin’s firm stance on maintaining control over Foundation decisions.
Meanwhile, Miyaguchi, who has held this role since 2018, has faced criticism from community members on X, with some blaming her for inefficiencies within the Foundation.
Recently, well-followed crypto trader CoinMamba, a vocal critic of the Ethereum Foundation, called for the resignation of Miyaguchi.
CoinMamba urged the community to maintain pressure on the Foundation, reasoning that such efforts could lead to her stepping down, which could positively impact Ethereum’s trajectory.
In response, Buterin firmly dismissed the idea, stating that he is solely responsible for deciding the Ethereum Foundation’s leadership team. He lashed back against the community’s recent attacks and criticized community members for creating a toxic environment for Ethereum’s “top talent.”
“YOU ARE MAKING MY JOB HARDER. And you are decreasing the chance I have any interest whatsoever in doing “what you want,” he added.
Buterin reiterated that the current reforms underway aim to establish a “proper board” for the Foundation, but until then, he remains the final decision-maker on leadership matters.
Some community members were quick to criticize this, with market commentator abstractXBT raising concerns over the centralized nature of this stanch. Instead, they suggested that the foundation should focus more on practical solutions, such as increasing developer support through hackathons and grants, rather than engaging in philosophical debates over leadership.
Buterin, however, clarified that Ethereum’s core mission remains decentralized. He pointed out that the EF is “only one part” of the broader ecosystem and suggested focusing on reforming other organizations like Consensys, which could take on more responsibilities. He added:
“EF should not “midcurve”, it should confidently represent the aspects of Ethereum that it can be effective at representing and deliberately create and nurture open space for other orgs to represent the other aspects of Ethereum.”
As previously reported by crypto.news, the Ethereum Foundation has also faced criticism regarding its financial practices, particularly concerning the management of its ETH holdings. Community members have expressed concerns over the Foundation’s periodic sales of ETH, questioning why it opts to liquidate assets instead of leveraging staking opportunities.
