A new chapter in the endless garden

My beloved Ethereum community,

Today I am excited to turn the page and share that I will be closing this chapter. This new opportunity will continue to support the institutional relationships of EF and allow us to broaden our vision and culture. I am deeply grateful and enthusiastic about what will happen next. While I made this decision a year ago, recent events gave me a great opportunity to reflect what really matters to me.

The past few weeks have been illuminating something deeply about Ethereum. This is the truth that becomes clearest in moments of tension when there is a debate about network performance or the market value of ETH. Around the world, teams and individuals are talking as if Ethereum was their own, and this incredibly tension is where we have the greatest strength. Ethereum belongs to everyone because it doesn't belong to anyone. Our culture without permission does not only tolerate discrepancies. It becomes stronger through it. And in the midst of this, we have seen new, hopeful energy emerge. It reminded me that it is often in the dark that we notice the Northern Star.

I would like to borrow it from the Stewart brand. Pace layer To explain how I see things in Ethereum. He presents a framework for the workings of the world inspired by Brian Eno's Shear layer. Over time, this model shaped the way people influential, engineers, artists, futurists and organizations think about diverse groups.

Maintain the value of Ethereum

Where does Ethereum fit in these layers? Is it in the fast outer outer layer where rapid experiments occur? Or at the core where nature and culture evolve more slowly? I don't think the answer is completely. If you want Ethereum to be more than a short-term product, and if you want to weave it into the fabrics of the world in the long run, you need all the layers and move at every pace. And if you don't want Ethereum to be limited to one company's short-term products, not all layers can be dominated by EF.

The Ethereum Foundation works to identify gaps and imbalances across these layers. The role of EF was not to control or own every domain of Ethereum. Instead, our responsibility –Our accountability lies in supporting the value of Ethereum.. Through both our actions and non-action, we are not reducing Ethereum to a single organization's product, not just as a network, but as a broader ecosystem of people, ideas and values. We are responsible for ensuring that we are a broad ecosystem.

Value of Reliable neutrality It doesn't mean treating everything equally. That means making principled choices that protect Ethereum's integrity at the heart of it. Our philosophy of subtraction is often misunderstood. It doesn't mean that it's less for it, not minimalism. This is a form of subtractive design thinking that focuses on outcomes rather than strict methods. Subtraction is not a process, but it is the result of what we strive for. It is a less imbalance and less centralised landscape that can undermine the value of Ethereum. Instead of assuming that fewer is always better, this idea recognizes that achieving balance requires the addition of thoughtful complexity and new mechanisms to add new mechanisms. It's there.

I'm led by philosophy

EF helped bootstrap new projects, new organizations and new heroes by owning only the best ones we can own. The countless decisions led by this philosophy helped Ethereum become the largest ecosystem of its kind, while maintaining its potential infinity. Ethereum is able to do everything, be anywhere, serve all domains, as all domains have the brightest mind. These values ​​are our North Star, and this is how we achieve our original vision of Ethereum as a computer in the world.

This philosophy flows through everything we do.

Some examples of where our actions have impacted Ethereum research and development and infrastructure:

• Instead of controlling, we manage All Core Development An invitation to create spaces for technical decisions to emerge through community wisdom.
• we Promote client diversityto avoid a single point of failure, not just numbers, but clients are successful and maintained by various teams across the ecosystem. Client Incentive Program They also support their client teams with their work.
• Supports adjustment of R&D Interop Retreatwe know that real breakthroughs happen when diverse teams cross-pollinate ideas.
• Some efforts begin as the seeds we plant Account Abstraction or Cross-L2 adjustmenthowever, they are designed to grow beyond our original trends and now thrive through community cultivation.
• The shift to merging and stake proofing was impossible for the mission. Not only did it have to run seamlessly while thousands of applications continue to run, but it also required a delicate balance, leading to leadership without control, no centralization adjustment.

devcon It has grown into something truly unique within the Ethereum ecosystem. It's not a regular meeting, but community hubs and domain-specific events provide a space led by people who promote progress in their own corners of the ecosystem. We focus on fostering leadership within a diverse community, empowering them to shape their own vision and connect with their people. This approach requires more complicated adjustments, requires more time and resources, and accepts levels of unpredictability, but believes this is the best way to reflect what Ethereum is truly It's there. whole. devconnectwhich we have been hosting since 2021 is a natural extension of this philosophy. It allows different communities to lead in their own unique ways, creating spaces for deep, focused collaboration.

When implementing my efforts in this philosophy, I encouraged my team to keep important principles in mind. EF must continue to evolve so that Ethereum itself is a living dynamic being. However, our goal is not to “win,” so we must avoid evolving like traditional companies. That's why Ethereum remains true to its core values, yet wins over the long term. As ecosystem needs evolve, our focus changes from simply asking, “How can EF do this?” In “How can Ethereum achieve this and what role should EF play?” This does not mean retreating. Rather, we are always led by our mission to advance our objectives, strategies and intentions and to maintain the integrity and value of Ethereum.

Unique and unique

It is surprising to witness this growth of the ecosystem. Seven years ago, when I joined EF, Ethereum voiced less and less. Participation in both network building and securing was concentrated in lesser hands and in the community. As an eclectic dreamer (the title preferred over the executive director) at the time, I often asked myself. The answer was always clear, but profound: True resilience rooted in the values ​​of Ethereum. Ethereum does not grow like a machine. It grows like a garden, strengthened and thriving by its biodiversity. The whole game is endless. This vision – the endless garden was born from its realization. Today, Ethereum thrives as a voice collage. A local community where core developers and researchers improve protocols, L2 teams enable scalability, application builders fill Ethereum into the real world, and shape the future in their own unique ways. This richness –Where technological and social innovations intertwin and influence each other– It's not just a feature of Ethereum. That's why it endures.

When I hear “Decentralization is the only way to build in my country.” It reminds me of someone in a place where democracy is broken and how Ethereum's technical choices bring deep human meaning. This infinite game cannot be played on EF alone, but it promises to preserve the value that allows Ethereum's technological and social innovation to continue to contribute to humanity.

thank you

When we first discussed the possibility of moving to Vitalik to President a year ago, it was aimed at continuing to nurture Ethereum's unique culture and serving as a voice to bridge the gap between Ethereum and the wider global community. did. Like a pace layer, culture moves the slowest, but it provides a strong foundation for everything that continues (“If the slow parts don't get frustrated at times, they're not at work – SB.”). Culture endures well beyond the market cycle, supporting us throughout the winter and driving us through the spring.

I would like to thank everyone who has been part of my journey over the past seven years and to those who have encouraged me to remain true to myself. Supporting EF expansion and Ethereum required a often unconventional approach and decisions that challenged the wisdom of traditional organizations. I am deeply grateful to those who have encouraged me to stay bold and trust that pursuing our values ​​will drive us forward. It was never an easy ride and I couldn't make it without you. And I have a deep appreciation to everyone at the Ethereum Foundation, past and present.

I would like to thank everyone for continuing to remind me why I am here in the first place.

Let's continue building in the garden.

–

Ayamiyaguchi