Ethereum Foundation's New Direction: Prioritizing Scaling and User Experience

The Ethereum Foundation has announced a strategic shift in its focus towards enhancing user experience and addressing scaling challenges within the Ethereum ecosystem. This change follows a recent leadership restructure aimed at freeing up co-founder Vitalik Buterin for more research and innovation.

Key Takeaways

• The Ethereum Foundation is prioritizing Layer 1 scaling and user experience improvements.

• Vitalik Buterin will focus on research rather than day-to-day operations.

• Upcoming protocol upgrades include Pectra, Fusaka, and Glamsterdam.

• The foundation aims to accelerate long-term projects to deliver results within one to two years.

Leadership Restructure

In March 2025, the Ethereum Foundation underwent a significant leadership change, appointing Hsiao-Wei Wang and Tomasz Stańczak as co-executive directors. This restructuring was designed to guide Ethereum through its evolution from a niche project to a robust platform capable of supporting a wide range of decentralized applications.

Stańczak emphasized that the leadership changes were intended to allow Buterin to concentrate on long-term research and innovation, rather than being bogged down by daily operational tasks. He stated, "Each time Vitalik shares insights or communicates a direction, he accelerates major long-term breakthroughs."

Focus on User Experience and Scaling

The Ethereum Foundation's new direction will concentrate on immediate challenges, particularly in user experience and Layer 1 scaling. Stańczak outlined the foundation's commitment to addressing these issues through upcoming protocol upgrades, specifically:

• Pectra: Aiming to enhance Layer 1 performance.

• Fusaka: Focused on improving interoperability and user experience.

• Glamsterdam: Targeting further scaling solutions and enhancements.

These upgrades are expected to significantly improve the Ethereum network's usability and efficiency, making it more accessible to a broader audience.

Accelerating Long-Term Projects

While the foundation is focusing on near-term goals, it is also exploring ways to expedite the development of long-term projects that were previously projected to take three to five years. By leveraging insights from top researchers, the foundation aims to bring some of these initiatives to fruition within one to two years.

Stańczak noted, "Posts from our top researchers help some of them to ship within one or two years through initiatives such as next-generation execution and consensus layers."

Vitalik Buterin's Research Role

With the leadership changes, Buterin's role will shift primarily to research and exploratory work. His recent proposals have sparked discussions around critical areas such as privacy enhancements and the efficiency of the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). Stańczak clarified that while Buterin's insights are influential, they are intended to initiate community dialogue and are subject to review and refinement.

This strategic pivot by the Ethereum Foundation signals a commitment to not only maintaining its core values but also adapting to the rapidly evolving landscape of decentralized technologies. By prioritizing user experience and scaling, the foundation aims to ensure Ethereum's readiness for mainstream adoption and its ability to support a growing ecosystem of decentralized applications and Layer 2 solutions.

Sources

• Ethereum Foundation Shifting Focus to ETH Scaling and User Experience, Says Executive Director, The Daily Hodl.

• Ethereum Foundation shifts focus to user experience, layer-1 scaling, Cointelegraph.

• Ethereum Foundation pivots focus to L1 scaling, frees Vitalik Buterin for research innovation, CryptoSlate.

• Ethereum Foundation Shifts Focus to Near-Term Scaling, User Experience Following Leadership Restructure, Blockhead.