Vitalik Buterin said during the Ethereum Foundation’s current transition that the EF is not the center of Ethereum, but a smaller node in the ecosystem with a defined mission. In his statement, he said the foundation will narrow its scope and concentrate on censorship resistance, privacy, openness, and security. He also described the EF as becoming smaller, more opinionated, and more focused on long-term technical priorities.
From early builder to one participant in a broader ecosystem
Buterin said the Ethereum Foundation was never meant to serve as Ethereum’s permanent steward. Its original role was tied to building Ethereum’s early infrastructure phases, including Frontier, Homestead, Metropolis, and Serenity. He said those initial objectives were completed in 2022, which is why the organization now plans to preserve resources and reduce the breadth of its operations.
He also addressed expectations inside the ecosystem. Some participants had looked to the EF as a central authority, but Buterin said the foundation now wants to work alongside other independent groups rather than above them. That marks a clear attempt to redefine the EF’s place inside Ethereum’s governance and development structure.
Foundation holds about 0.16% of ETH supply
On the question of influence, Buterin pointed to the EF’s balance sheet. He said the foundation controls roughly 0.16% of all ETH, far below other blockchain foundations that often hold between 10% and 50% of supply. The comparison was used to argue that the Ethereum Foundation does not sit in a position where it can direct the network in the way many other foundations can.
Buterin also called ETH the most financially valuable product in the Ethereum ecosystem. At the same time, he said some work related to supporting ETH as an asset falls outside the foundation’s responsibilities. Parts of that work, in his view, should be handled by other organizations in the ecosystem, with the EF helping at early stages and coordinating with outside groups where needed.
Smart contract wallets, public mempools, and formal verification
Buterin listed censorship resistance and minimizing intermediaries as central Ethereum priorities. The areas he highlighted included smart contract wallets, privacy protocols, public mempools, and upgrades focused on inclusion. A short point, but an important one. He framed these efforts as core infrastructure goals rather than optional features around the edges.
He also said AI-assisted formal verification could become one path toward bug-free Ethereum infrastructure. Alongside that, he pointed to Ethereum’s consensus model and fault tolerance as major technical differentiators. He referenced ongoing work on lean consensus and erasure-coded peer-to-peer systems, adding that those efforts remain compatible with lower slot times and scaling improvements.
Ethereum should not compete mainly on speed
Buterin said Ethereum should avoid competing only on transaction speed or scalability. Instead, he argued that openness, privacy, and capture resistance should stay closer to the center of Ethereum’s technical direction. The message was direct: throughput alone should not define the network’s priorities if it comes at the expense of resilience and neutrality.
He also said his own influence inside the Ethereum Foundation will keep declining. The board is expanding, and much of the transition is being managed by other leaders, including Aerugo. Taken together, the comments show the EF trying to reduce its central profile while shifting its attention toward long-horizon infrastructure work and leaving more room for independent ecosystem actors.