The New Chairman of the Ethereum Foundation Looks to Future Development

After a one-year transition period, the Ethereum Foundation (EF) announced that Executive Director Aya Miyagotchi has officially been promoted to the Chair of the Foundation. Miyagotchi subsequently shared her vision for the future development of EF.

Miyagotchi stated that she will step down from her role as Executive Director to take on the position of Chair. This new role will enable her to continue supporting EF's institutional relationships and to spread the foundation's vision and culture more broadly. Although this decision was made over a year ago, recent events have given her the opportunity to rethink what truly matters.

She pointed out that the deeper meaning of Ethereum has been highlighted in recent weeks. When network performance or ETH market capitalization sparks controversy, the characteristic of Ethereum belonging to everyone and to no one is most evident. The EF's permissionless culture not only tolerates differences but also becomes stronger through them.

Miyagotchi draws on Stewart Brand's "Pace Layering" theory to explain her views on Ethereum. She believes that if Ethereum is to integrate into the world structure in the long term and not just be a short-term product, it needs to develop at different speeds across various layers. The role of EF is not to control or own all areas of Ethereum, but to uphold its values, ensuring that Ethereum remains resilient and becomes an ecosystem of diverse people, ideas, and values.

The EF upholds the value of "trustworthy neutrality," which means making principled choices to protect the integrity of Ethereum. The foundation's "subtraction philosophy" is not about minimalism, but rather a results-oriented design thinking focused on achieving less imbalance and less centralization.

Under this guiding principle, EF has helped launch new projects, new organizations, and new heroes by only possessing the most suitable parts. This approach has made Ethereum the largest ecosystem among its peers while maintaining its infinite potential. Miyagotchi emphasizes that Ethereum must remain uncontrollable, and these values are key to realizing the vision of a "world computer."

The actions of the EF have had a significant impact on Ethereum development and infrastructure. For example, the foundation manages core development conference calls, creating space for the community's wisdom to make technical decisions; advocates for client diversity to avoid single points of failure; supports the coordination of research and development interoperability workshops; and fosters community-driven innovation, such as account abstraction and cross-L2 coordination.

Events like Devcon and Devconnect reflect the EF's philosophy, providing space for different communities to shape their own visions and build connections. While this approach makes coordination more complex, it better embodies the essence of Ethereum - a network of independent yet interconnected communities.

Miyagotchi emphasizes that EF must continue to evolve like Ethereum itself, but avoid expansion like traditional companies. The foundation's goal is not to make itself "win", but to ensure Ethereum achieves long-term success while adhering to its core values.

She reflected on the ecosystem growth she witnessed over her seven years with EF. Initially, there were few participants in Ethereum, concentrated among a small number of people and regions. Today, Ethereum has evolved into a diverse collection of voices: core developers and researchers refining the protocol, L2 teams achieving scalability, application builders connecting Ethereum with the real world, and local communities shaping the future in their own ways.

Miyagotchi indicates that when hearing people in certain places say "decentralization is the only way to build a nation," it reminds us that the technical choices of Ethereum have far-reaching impacts on humanity. Although the EF cannot complete this "infinite game" on its own, it is still committed to ensuring that Ethereum's technological and social innovations continue to serve human values.

Finally, Miyagotchi expresses gratitude to those who have supported her over the past seven years. She acknowledges that developing EF and supporting Ethereum often requires unconventional approaches and decisions that challenge traditional organizational wisdom. She appreciates those who encouraged her to stay courageous and believe that adhering to values will illuminate the way forward. Miyagotchi states that this journey has never been easy, and without the support of these individuals, she would not have reached where she is today. She sincerely thanks everyone at EF, past and present, who have patiently and bravely participated in this extraordinary and unusual journey.