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Written by: Bitchain Vision 0xxz
After a 1-year transition, on February 25, 2025, Vitalik and the Ethereum Foundation (EF) announced that Aya Miyagotchi, executive director of the Ethereum Foundation, was officially promoted to Chairman of the Ethereum Foundation.Aya Miyagotchi then published a post introducing his future plans for the Ethereum Foundation, the following is the full text:
Dear Ethereum community members,
Today, I am very happy to turn a new page and tell you that I am about to end the chapter of the Executive Director of the Ethereum Foundation (EF) and take on the new role of the foundation chair.This new opportunity will allow me to continue to support EF’s institutional relationships and expand the reach of our vision and culture more broadly.I am grateful and passionate about the future and while I made this decision a year ago, the recent events have given me a great opportunity to reflect on what really matters to me.
The deep meaning of Ethereum has been revealed over the past few weeks—a fact that becomes clearest in times of tension when network performance or market value of ETH is controversial.Globally, teams and individuals talk about Ethereum just like they are talking about their own, but it is this tension that is our biggest advantage:Ethereum belongs to everyone, precisely because it does not belong to anyone.Our licensing-free culture not only tolerate disagreements—it becomes stronger through disagreements.In the midst of all this, we see new, hopeful energy, which reminds me of the fact that we often notice the North Star in the dark—a thing we often take for granted.
I want to borrow “Pace Layering” by Stewart Brand to explain my view on Ethereum.He proposes a framework for the world to function, which is inspired by Brian Eno’s Shearing Layers.Over time, this model shapes the minds of an influential group of people, technologists, artists, futurists and organizations.
Maintain the values of Ethereum
Where is Ethereum in these tiers?Are you in the rapid development of the outer layer and conducting experiments quickly?Or at the core, nature and culture are developing more slowly?I don’t think the answer lies entirely in these two aspects.If we want Ethereum to be more than just a short-term product, if we want it to be integrated into the world structure for a long time, we need all levels to develop at all speeds.If we don’t want Ethereum to be confined to a company’s short-term products forever, then all levels cannot—and shouldn’t—be dominated by EF.
The Ethereum Foundation is committed to discovering gaps and imbalances between these layers.The role of the Ethereum Foundation is never to control or own all domains in Ethereum.Instead, our responsibility—our responsibility—is to uphold Ethereum’s values.Through our actions and inactions, it is our responsibility to ensure that Ethereum remains resilient not only as a network, but also as an ecosystem of broader people, ideas and values—that never become a product of a single organization.
Trusted neutral value does not mean treating everything equally, but rather means making principled choices that fundamentally protect the integrity of Ethereum.Our philosophy of subtraction is often misunderstood: it is not minimalism, nor does it mean to do less for the sake of minimalism.It is a subtraction design thinking that focuses on results rather than rigidity.Subtraction is not a process, but the result we strive to pursue: a pattern with less imbalance and less centralization that could damage the value of Ethereum.This way of thinking is not to think that less is good, but to recognize that achieving balance often requires careful consideration of complexity or the addition of new mechanisms to ensure that no single entity (including EF) is dominating the development of Ethereum.
Guided by philosophy
By having only what we best have, the Ethereum Foundation has helped launch new projects, new organizations and new heroes.Guided by this philosophy, countless decisions have helped Ethereum become the largest ecosystem of its kind while maintaining its unlimited potential.Ethereum can do anything, everywhere, serve everyone, every field is powered by the smartest talent and most importantly, it must remain uncontrolled.These values are our North Star, and that’s how we realize our initial vision of Ethereum as a world computer.
This philosophy runs through everything we do.
Here are some examples of EF’s actions have an impact on Ethereum R&D and infrastructure:
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Instead of controlling, we manage all core development calls to create space for making technological decisions through community intelligence.
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We advocate client diversity, not just in quantity, but in order to make clients successful and maintained by different teams in the ecosystem to avoid single point of failure.Client incentive programs have also been supporting the work of client teams.
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We support the coordination of R&D interoperability retreats and know that real breakthroughs can only be made when different teams communicate ideas with each other.
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Some efforts start with the seeds we plant—such as account abstraction or cross-L2 coordination, but they are designed to transcend our initial tendencies and thrive through community cultivation.
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Merging and turning to PoS is simply impossible.Not only because it has to be executed seamlessly while thousands of applications continue to run, but also because it requires a delicate balance: leadership without control, coordination without concentration.
Devcon has become something truly unique in the Ethereum ecosystem.It is not a normal meeting, it provides a space, community centers and field-specific activities led by those who drive progress in every corner of the ecosystem.We focus on fostering leadership in different communities so that they can shape their vision and connect with their people.While this approach makes coordination more complex, requires more time and resources, and requires us to accept a certain level of unpredictability, we believe it is the best way to reflect the true nature of Ethereum—a standalone but mutual one anotherA network of communities connected, each community contributes to the whole.Our Devconnect since 2021 is a natural extension of this philosophy: creating space for deep, focused collaboration while allowing different communities to lead in their own ways.
In carrying out work in line with this philosophy, I encourage our team to keep in mind a key principle: EF must continue to evolve, just as Ethereum itself is a dynamic entity.However, we must avoid growing like traditional companies, becauseEF’s goal is not to make EF “win”—but to make Ethereum achieve long-term victories while adhering to its core values.As ecosystem needs evolved, our focus changed from simply asking “How does EF do this?” to “How does Ethereum do this, what role should EF play?” This does not mean backing; instead, weWe will move forward with goals, strategies and intentions, always guided by our mission to maintain the integrity and values of Ethereum.
Subtraction, not minimalism
Long-term sustainability, not short-term benefits
Thoughtful complexity, not oversimplification of management, not control
Adaptive growth, not rigid structure
Purposeful evolution, not corporate expansion
Community leadership, not domination
Irresistible uniqueness
It’s amazing to witness this growth in the ecosystem.Seven years ago, when I joined EF, Ethereum had less voice.Participation (including network construction and protection) is concentrated in fewer people and areas.At that time, as an eclectic dreamer (I liked the title more than executive director), I often asked myself:What makes Ethereum not only unique, but also unique?The answer is always clear and profound: true resilience, rooted in Ethereum’s values.Ethereum doesn’t grow like a machine; it grows like a garden, becomes stronger because of its biodiversity, and thrives as the entire game is infinite.This vision—Infinite Garden—was born from this understanding.Today, Ethereum thrives as a group of voices: core developers and researchers refine the protocol, L2 teams enable scalability, application builders connect Ethereum to the real world, and local communities shape its future in their own ways.This richness—technology and social innovation intertwined and influenced each other—is not only a feature of Ethereum, but also the reason for its enduring popularity.
When we hear people from somewhere where democratic institutions are undermined, saying that “decentralization is the only way to build our country”, it reminds us that Ethereum’s technological choices have a profound impact on humanity.Although the Ethereum Foundation cannot play this infinite game alone, we are still committed to insisting that Ethereum’s technological and social innovation continue to serve human values.
grateful
When I first discussed with Vitalik the possibility of transitioning to the chair a year ago, the goal was to continue fostering Ethereum’s unique culture and act as a voice to bridge the gap between Ethereum and the wider global community.Just like in Pace Layering,Culture is the slowest, but it provides a solid foundation for everything that follows(“If the slow parts are not occasionally frustrating, then they don’t work – Stewart Brand ”).Culture goes far beyond the market cycle, supporting us through the winter and pushing us through the spring.
Thank you to everyone who has been with me for the past seven years, and to those who have encouraged me to stick to myself.Developing EF and supporting Ethereum often requires unconventional approaches and decision-making that challenge traditional organizations’ wisdom.I am very grateful to those who inspire me to stay brave and believe that pursuing our values will light up the way forward.This journey has never been easy, and I would not have been able to do it without you.I sincerely thank everyone in the Ethereum Foundation for their patience and courage to participate in this extraordinary and extraordinary journey.
Thank you all, you are constantly reminding me why we came to this world.
Let’s continue building in the garden.
