Ethereum Foundation's Aya Miyaguchi Steps Up as Chair as Vitalik Buterin Pledges Leadership Change
Ethereum Foundation CEO Aya Miyaguchi will officially "step up" as chair of the nonprofit, according to a blog post on Tuesday. The move comes after a long period of public scrutiny over her leadership and criticism from the Ethereum community over the Ethereum network's competitiveness and scaling solutions.
Miyaguchi said she will take on the new role with the goal of continuing to support the foundation's institutional relationships and community development. She joined the organization as executive director in 2018, after serving as an executive at Kraken Japan.
"The past few weeks have highlighted a profound truth about Ethereum: the network belongs to everyone because it belongs to no one," Miyaguchi wrote in the post. She also emphasized that the decision had been in the works for about a year, and that the new role would allow her to continue to play a significant role in driving Ethereum’s development.
Vitalik Buterin Reaffirms Miyaguchi’s Role
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin praised Miyaguchi for her contributions during her time in the leadership role. In a statement on X, Buterin said Miyaguchi helped create the environment for Ethereum to thrive, and that Ethereum’s success was due in part to her stewardship.
Buterin also pledged that the Ethereum Foundation is planning to restructure its leadership structure to meet current challenges. The community has called on former foundation researcher Danny Ryan, who led Ethereum’s transition to Proof of Stake, to take on the new leadership role.
Controversy and Change
However, Miyaguchi has faced backlash from the Ethereum community following an interview with WIRED in which she appeared to dismiss the importance of a competitive culture. The Ethereum community has criticized the delay in implementing scaling solutions for the network. In response to these criticisms, Vitalik Buterin has defended Miyaguchi, asserting that he has full authority to decide who leads the foundation.
In addition, the Ethereum Foundation has made several moves to become more transparent, including deploying 50,000 ETH ($80 million) on the Aave, Compound, and Spark protocols. This move was in response to criticism that the foundation only interacts on-chain when it needs to sell ETH to support funding.
Ethereum’s Future Leadership
With the upcoming leadership changes and Aya Miyaguchi’s transition, the Ethereum Foundation promises to continue moving forward with a new vision and direction. The community will continue to watch the organization's next steps and how it meets the expectations of users and developers.
