The departures also come as the foundation unveiled a new strategic framework known as “CROPS,” an acronym standing for cypherpunk values, resilience, open source development, permissionless and security. Foundation leaders presented the framework as a way to clarify the FE’s mission and reinforce Ethereum’s core values as the ecosystem becomes increasingly decentralized. Supporters see it as a reaffirmation of Ethereum’s founding principles, while critics argue that it fails to address concerns about the network’s execution, organizational effectiveness, and competitive position.
Among the most vocal critics was former Ethereum researcher Dankrad Feist, who suggested that the recent wave of executive departures reflected deeper management problems rather than disagreements over strategy.
“People leaving the Ethereum Foundation are CROPS believers,” Feist wrote on X. “The problem is not strategy, but management.”
Feist’s comments were notable because they challenged the prevailing notion that recent departures stemmed from dissatisfaction with the foundation’s new direction. Instead, he argued that many of those who left the party supported the CROPS vision itself, making the loss of talent a reflection of leadership shortcomings rather than ideological disagreements. “The talent exodus is unfortunately really bearish for Ethereum,” he added.
Other community members echoed their concerns about the Foundation’s internal dynamics. “It makes me sad to see the dysfunction of the Ethereum Foundation,” Coinbase engineering manager Yuga Cohler wrote on X.
