Hsiao-Wei Wang has stepped down as co-executive director and board member of the Ethereum Foundation (EF), marking the latest high-profile departure from the organization during a year of significant leadership and structural changes.
In a statement shared on social media, Wang said the decision followed a period of reflection during a sabbatical that helped her reassess her priorities and the direction she wanted to take in her personal and professional life. Effective immediately, she has left both her executive and board positions at the foundation.
Wang described her time as co-executive director as an opportunity to gain a broader perspective on how Ethereum’s diverse global community collaborates. She highlighted the contributions of builders, researchers, educators, node operators, validators, and users, emphasizing that Ethereum’s strength has always come from a decentralized network of contributors rather than any single individual or organization.
Her departure ends a leadership chapter that began in 2025 when she was appointed co-executive director alongside Tomasz Stańczak following a major restructuring of the Ethereum Foundation’s management. The move came after former executive director Aya Miyaguchi transitioned to a new role as president while the foundation sought to address growing community concerns around governance, communication, and Ethereum’s long-term strategic direction.
Latest Departure in a Year of Leadership Changes
Wang’s exit comes during a period of unusually high turnover at the Ethereum Foundation.
Earlier this year, co-executive director Tomasz Stańczak stepped down from his leadership position, with the foundation appointing Bastian Aue as interim co-executive director. The Ethereum Foundation described the move as part of an ongoing leadership transition, while Stańczak indicated he planned to focus more heavily on technical work and emerging areas such as artificial intelligence.
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Beyond executive leadership, several other prominent figures have also left the organization in recent months. Reports indicate that contributors, including Carl Beek, Julian Ma, Barnabé Monnot, Tim Beiko, Trent Van Epps, and Alex Stokes have either departed or transitioned away from key responsibilities during 2026. The departures have fueled debate within the Ethereum community about the foundation’s evolving role and future direction.
The scale of turnover has led some community members to question whether the foundation is experiencing internal challenges, while others view the changes as a natural consequence of Ethereum’s maturation and decentralization.
What the Departures Could Mean for Ethereum
Although the number of high-profile exits has attracted attention, there is little evidence that the departures reflect a crisis within Ethereum itself.
The Ethereum Foundation has spent the past two years redefining its role within the ecosystem, shifting away from direct oversight and toward research, coordination, ecosystem support, and grant funding. As Ethereum has grown into a global network supported by independent development teams, Layer 2 ecosystems, research organizations, and commercial entities, some observers argue that the foundation’s influence is naturally becoming more distributed.
That transition, however, is not without risks. Critics have warned that losing experienced researchers and long-serving contributors could create gaps in institutional knowledge and make coordination more difficult as Ethereum prepares for future protocol upgrades. Questions around governance, transparency, and strategic direction have also resurfaced as departures continue.
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At the same time, supporters of the restructuring argue that Ethereum’s long-term vision has always been to reduce dependence on any single organization. Under that view, the movement of experienced contributors into independent projects, research groups, Layer 2 networks, and ecosystem initiatives could ultimately strengthen Ethereum’s decentralized nature rather than weaken it.
Wang echoed that philosophy in her farewell message, stressing that Ethereum is larger than any individual role or organization. While she has stepped away from the foundation, she said she remains committed to the Ethereum community and intends to continue supporting its mission from outside the EF.
Her departure leaves Bastian Aue as the remaining co-executive director and adds another chapter to what has become one of the most consequential periods of organizational change in the Ethereum Foundation’s history.
