For the founders of Ethereum Institutional, becoming an independent nonprofit rather than remaining within the foundation was a deliberate choice.
“EF has always emphasized its principle of subtraction,” Dawson said, referring to the organization handing over network responsibilities to other organizations. “This is an example of this increasing decentralization and the number of nodes participating in the representation of Ethereum.”
Operating outside of the foundation also gives the organization greater freedom, Walsh said.
“We feel like we have a lot more autonomy and freedom to work as an independent entity,” he said. “We can be a little more stubborn and a little more aggressive to be able to support these teams.”
For years, the Ethereum Foundation has toed a cautious line regarding the influence it exerts on the ecosystem. Its mandate has largely been to coordinate protocol development and manage Ethereum’s technical roadmap, rather than acting as a central authority directing development or commercial adoption. But as the network grew, some community members pushed the foundation to take a more active role in areas such as institutional outreach and ecosystem coordination, responsibilities it increasingly chose to decentralize.
Ethereum Institutional joins a growing network of organizations taking on specialized roles within Ethereum. Last month, EthLabs launched to support ecosystem development, while companies such as Etherealize, launched in 2025, have focused on connecting institutions through commercial products and services.
