TLDR
- Ethereum Foundation restructures its Protocol R&D teams under new “Protocol” division with three focus areas: Layer 1 scaling, blob scaling, and user experience improvements
- Some team members will leave the organization as part of the streamlining process, with the foundation encouraging ecosystem projects to recruit departing talent
- Three dedicated leadership teams assigned: Tim Beiko and Ansgar Dietrichs for L1 scaling, Alex Stokes and Francesco D’Amato for blob scaling, Barnabé Monnot and Josh Rudolf for user experience
- Dankrad Feist serves as strategic advisor across all three tracks, despite previous controversy over EigenLayer token advisory role
- Restructuring follows recent Pectra upgrade and aims to prepare for upcoming Fusaka upgrade featuring PeerDAS technology
The Ethereum Foundation announced a major restructuring of its Protocol Research & Development teams on Monday. The organization is consolidating its development efforts under a new “Protocol” division.
The restructuring comes less than a month after the Pectra upgrade activation. The foundation stated it needs to “rethink our current approach to designing, developing, and stewarding the protocol.”
The new Protocol division will focus on three strategic initiatives. These include scaling the main Ethereum blockchain, scaling blobs for data storage, and improving user experience.
The foundation described its previous development process as “messy.” It aims to create a more focused and collaborative approach to protocol development.
Leadership Structure and Team Assignments
Each initiative receives dedicated leadership teams. Tim Beiko and Ansgar Dietrichs will handle Layer 1 scaling efforts.
Alex Stokes and Francesco D’Amato will oversee blob scaling initiatives. Barnabé Monnot and Josh Rudolf are assigned to user experience improvements.
Dankrad Feist will serve as strategic advisor across all three tracks. Feist is known for creating “Danksharding,” a blockchain optimization process named after him.
Last year, Feist faced controversy over receiving tokens for his EigenLayer advisory role. The foundation acknowledged that “relying on culture and individual judgment has not been sufficient.”
Staff Changes and Departures
Not all team members will continue with the foundation. Some researchers and developers will leave the organization as part of the streamlining process.
The foundation encouraged ecosystem projects to recruit departing talent. The organization did not specify the exact number of departing staff members.
The restructuring aims to bridge the gap between research and implementation. Previous upgrades like Pectra faced testnet failures that delayed rollouts by weeks.
Focus Areas and Technical Goals
The Layer 1 scaling initiative targets improvements to Ethereum’s main blockchain performance. This includes transaction throughput and network efficiency enhancements.
Blob scaling focuses on expanding data storage capabilities. This technology supports Layer 2 scaling solutions that process transactions off the main chain.
The user experience track aims to improve wallet functionality and transaction processes. The goal is making Ethereum more accessible to mainstream users.
Upcoming Fusaka Upgrade
The foundation is preparing for the Fusaka upgrade expected later this year. This upgrade will introduce PeerDAS (Peer Data Availability Sampling) technology.
PeerDAS represents a key component of Ethereum’s scaling roadmap. The technology enables more efficient verification of blob data availability.
The Pectra upgrade delivered improvements to institutional staking and wallet experience. It also enhanced transaction performance across the network.
The foundation has been undergoing leadership changes throughout 2025. These changes follow community feedback and treasury management adjustments.
The foundation has increased its involvement in decentralized finance protocols. It has deployed funds in Aave, Spark, and Compound for treasury diversification.
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