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Author: Anthony DOnofrio, founding member of Ethereum; compiled by Tao Zhu, Bitchain Vision
Recently, Ethereum’s future has been widely criticized, and the project’s roadmap and governance have also been closely watched.
Ethereum founding member Anthony DOnofrio is on X todayWritten byCall for changes to the Ethereum Foundation.“To secure its future, the Ethereum Foundation must transform itself from a passive institution to a proactive and visionary force.”
The following is the full text of Anthony DOnofrio:
The Ethereum Foundation is a paradox.Despite its commitment to decentralization, it operates as a centralized entity with directors, finance departments, paid developers and a core circle.Although these structures are essential for coordination, they are in conflict with the decentralized spirit of Ethereum.
Today’s Ethereum Foundation
What is little known is that the current Ethereum Foundation is not well established.Ming, the former chairman of the foundation, was jointly removed by a group of people who had never disclosed their identity or were responsible for it.A few days before she was removed from office, I talked to Ming and she assured me that she had no intention of leaving.Later I got information about who should be responsible for her dismissal, but I didn’t get much in-depth analysis of the reasons.I heard that Ming is a bit like a manager who is very important and has annoyed some people.I believe this is true, but these stories are often just a guise to hide deeper truths.
Based on how the organization has operated over the past seven years, I can infer some reasons for goodwill.A very important role of the organization is to prevent internal power struggles and external controls.These are lofty goals that they seem to have achieved effectively.
Another major concern seems to be to minimize the public influence of the organization and to construct it in a way that does not arouse the government’s anger, which may require them to be held accountable if the political winds are against them.But as the political trends change, the market provides an alternative, and the organization itself must adjust in form and function.
Ethereum was born as a visionary project, not just technical.It points to the possibilities of the previously unimaginable future by empowering individuals to accomplish what had previously taken billions of dollars, thousands or millions of working hours.
The Ethereum Foundation’s current goal is to minimize internal and external threats, but it has lost that vision.
Lead with vision
The next phase of Ethereum requires more than just technical research and coordination meetings.It requires visionary leaders—not only knowledge of technology, but also its broader social, philosophical and political implications.This leader must inspire a new generation of builders to connect technology with human needs and navigate a complex political landscape without damaging the spirit of Ethereum.
The Ethereum White Paper is not just a technical document, it is also a beacon that brings like-minded people together under a common vision.In the face of chaos, uncertainty and frequent conflicts, it acts as a guiding light.What ensures our collective success is not without challenges, but clearly visible to the top of the mountain we strive toward.This shared vision allows us to be consistent even when differences and setbacks arise.
The era of this idea has arrived – a blueprint beyond the individual, inspiring the community to persevere and innovate, and ultimately bring this vision to life.Without it, the project could easily collapse under the weight of ambition.
Stay transparent and pay more attention to the community
Transparency is equally important.The foundation has retreated behind the scenes over the past few years, leaving the community feeling isolated.However, without a community, Ethereum is nothing, and if the community is lost, Ethereum is nothing.The community must be managed, planned and cared for.It requires new people to join, they have new energy and new ideas and are bound by a shared vision.This also includes teams built on Ethereum.
Seize the opportunity
From a legal perspective, Ethereum must seize the opportunity to engage with lawmakers.The current political atmosphere in the United States is very favorable, and if you don’t take action now, you may lose motivation.The United States has elected a president who not only owns Ethereum, but also launches its own lending agreement based on Ethereum.As of now, the political environment we are in was unthinkable a year ago, when the Democrats publicly declared war on cryptocurrencies, which surprised many of us, and the future seemed full of uncertainty.Now is the best time to ensure that the cryptocurrency commitment is fulfilled.
While maintaining political neutrality, foundations can create or promote frameworks that encourage compliance and innovation.Without these frameworks, the cryptocurrency sector will be plagued by speculative companies (ICOs, DAOs, NFTs) that circumvent supervision rather than working to build sustainable use cases within the scope of regulation.
Lead by example
The Ethereum Foundation should also consider leveraging its own technology to coordinate its operations and demonstrate the change potential of decentralized systems.By adopting Ethereum-based tools and protocols, foundations can manage governance, fiscal spending, decision-making processes, and community engagement.
This approach not only demonstrates the capabilities of Ethereum, but also strengthens trust within the community by embodying the principles of decentralization and transparency advocated by the project.Furthermore, leveraging Ethereum’s ecosystem for coordination can serve as a real-world case study that inspires developers and organizations to explore similar solutions.By integrating its technology into its own operations, the Foundation will highlight the platform’s practical utility while setting a precedent for how decentralized systems can effectively manage complex organizations.
Be brave to take responsibility and create a future together
Finally, financial accountability must be a priority.
The Ethereum Foundation spends $100 million a year and should achieve measurable results.Despite a lot of investments in technology research, the user experience of cryptocurrencies has remained stagnant.Improving user experience, user interface, key management and other security and availability issues are not insurmountable, but have been severely overlooked.This oversight reflects a blind spot that must be addressed before wider adoption is achieved.
Ethereum is more than just a technology project—it is a visionary movement designed to empower individuals to achieve goals that once required a lot of resources.This vision risks being forgotten.To reignite it, the foundation must embrace transparency, invest in leadership, engage the community, and become a legal and political focus.
The story of Ethereum is a story of overcoming chaos and a proof of the power of collective vision.To secure its future, the Ethereum Foundation must transform from a passive institution to a proactive visionary force.For Ethereum.For the community.For greater benefit.For the future.
