Dankrad Feist defends Ethereum Foundation after nine senior researchers depart

Dankrad Feist stepped in on May 24 to defend the Ethereum Foundation after a week of criticism over the organization’s direction and a run of senior departures. Bitget News reported that Feist said the foundation was doing “exactly” what it was supposed to do, pushing back on complaints that Ethereum’s main nonprofit had failed to address Layer 2 fragmentation, high fees and broader execution concerns. At least nine senior Ethereum Foundation researchers and staff have left in 2026, according to Unchained, with several exits announced in May alone. The departures have become a focal point for a wider argument inside Ethereum about what the foundation should do, and what it was never designed to do. (bitget.com) ### Why did Feist’s defense land now? May 24 was the first day after multiple outlets had framed the latest departures as a deepening “brain drain” at the foundation. Unchained reported on May 20 that protocol researchers Carl Beekhuizen and Julian Ma, along with senior solutions architect Pablo Voorvaart, had exited, lifting the tally to at least nine departures this year. (unchainedcrypto.com) Bitget News said Feist’s remarks came as criticism spread over Ethereum’s scaling model and the role of the Ethereum Foundation. Social posts and crypto media have centered on complaints that Ethereum’s reliance on Layer 2 networks has fragmented liquidity and left users facing uneven costs and experiences. ### What is the argument over the Ethereum Foundation actually about? (unchainedcrypto.com) The Ethereum Foundation has long presented itself as a steward of the protocol rather than a corporate operator focused on ETH price. That distinction is now at the center of the dispute. Unchained reported that some community figures want an organization that is explicitly aligned with ETH’s market performance and competitive position, while others argue that would undermine Ethereum’s decentralized model. (bitget.com) Dankrad Feist himself has been part of that broader debate. On May 22, Unchained reported that Feist proposed a separate independent organization funded with at least $1 billion in ETH, backed by staking and fee revenue, with a board that wanted “ETH to go up” and a leader who “wants to fight.” He said the Ethereum Foundation held less than 0.1% of all ETH and had no direct flow of staking or fee revenue. (unchainedcrypto.com) ### How do Feist’s two positions fit together? Feist’s May 24 defense of the Ethereum Foundation did not erase his criticism of Ethereum’s broader coordination model. The two positions can sit together: one argues the foundation is fulfilling its stated mandate, while the other argues Ethereum may need an additional institution with a different mandate. That reading is based on Feist’s public comments as reported by Bitget News and Unchained. (unchainedcrypto.com) Ryan Sean Adams of Bankless, cited by Unchained, endorsed the idea of an organization that wants “ETH the asset to win,” while Ethereum consensus researcher potuz warned that giving one group too much influence over governance and shipping would risk turning Ethereum into “another corporate chain.” (bitget.com) ### Who has left, and why are those exits getting attention? Five named departures in May included Barnabé Monnot, Tim Beiko, Carl Beek, Julian Ma and Trent Van Epps, according to Unchained. The outlet said the exits hit the protocol cluster, the part of the foundation tied to base-layer research and coordination. (unchainedcrypto.com) Unchained also reported that community members have questioned the foundation’s internal alignment, coordination capacity and ability to deliver upcoming upgrades. Those concerns have circulated alongside falling ETH prices and public disagreement over whether the foundation should remain research-first and price-agnostic. (unchainedcrypto.com) ### What comes next in the story? Glamsterdam is the next named protocol milestone in the debate. Unchained reported that observers have asked whether the departures could affect delivery of the upcoming network upgrade, making Ethereum’s development timetable the clearest next test cited in the current argument. (unchainedcrypto.com) Feist, former Ethereum Foundation staff, current researchers and community advocates are likely to keep shaping that discussion in public posts and ecosystem forums. For now, the dispute has moved beyond personnel changes to a narrower question: whether Ethereum needs a second institution alongside the foundation, not in place of it. (bitget.com) (unchainedcrypto.com)