The Ethereum Foundation announced that it has fired some members of its research and development team.

This move is part of a larger restructuring plan designed to address key protocol design challenges.

Reorganization Efforts

According to a Monday blog post, the Foundation has rebranded its Protocol Research and Development division under a new, simplified name, “Protocol.”  The organization is also reorganizing its teams and introducing clear coordination structures focused on three main areas: scaling Ethereum’s base layer, expanding blob space, and improving user experience.

“This also means some members of PRD won’t be continuing with the Ethereum Foundation. We hope these individuals continue on in the Ethereum ecosystem and encourage others building out their teams to seek them out,” the statement said.

The foundation did not name the people affected by the layoffs. However, it said these changes are needed to place it on a more “responsive and effective path.”

The restructured Protocol team will serve as a central hub for Ethereum’s core development efforts. The goal is to improve transparency around upgrade timelines, strengthen technical documentation, and support ongoing research.

The non-profit said leadership will play an important role in carrying out its plan, with roles being clearly defined to increase accountability and accelerate progress.

Tim Beiko and Ansgar Dietrichs will head efforts to scale Layer 1. Alex Stokes and Francesco D’Amato will be in charge of Layer 2 scaling, while Barnabé Monnot and Josh Rudolf will lead user experience improvements.

Dankrad Feist has also been appointed as strategic advisor across all three focus areas and will support the project leads in executing their responsibilities.

“Were hopeful that this new structure will empower our internal teams to focus more clearly and drive key initiatives forward,” said Hsiao-Wei Weng, co-executive director at the Ethereum Foundation, in a post on X.

The announcement also emphasized the Ethereum community’s role. The foundation says it does not aim to replace external contributors but instead wants to uphold high working standards. In line with this, new governance forums are being introduced, and feedback channels are being enhanced to ensure more effective input.

Community Criticism

The reorganization comes in response to ongoing criticism over the foundation’s management and strategic direction. Some members of the Ethereum community have warned for over a year that unresolved technical issues such as scalability, transaction speeds, and developer engagement could pose risks to the network’s leadership in the space.

The non-profit has already made leadership changes to help address these concerns. In March, Hsiao-Wei Weng and Tomasz K. Stańczak were named co-executive directors. These appointments aimed to bring balance between operational and technical leadership.